


Coffee and Crumbs

by fonduelefou (IntoTheStardust)



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, DAN AND PHIL - Freeform, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, KickTheStickz - Freeform, M/M, Markiplier - Freeform, Phan - Freeform, Phan- Freeform, Phanfiction, Pining, Slow Burn, Weatherman Phil, Weatherman!Phil, YouTubers - Freeform, danxphil - Freeform, intern!Dan, pewdiepie/cutiepie is very background, phanfic, septiplier is there if you squint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-22
Updated: 2016-10-24
Packaged: 2018-04-22 19:57:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4848470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntoTheStardust/pseuds/fonduelefou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since Dan Howell was thirteen years old, he had been obsessed with a weatherman at LNL (London News Live) named Phil Lester. Now that he's finally moved to London, he hopes he can one day meet his idol. A certain opportunity presents itself, and Dan becomes ever closer to obtaining his goal. Will he make it or break it in the world of rising stars, weather reports, and coffee breaks?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Catching A Break

**Author's Note:**

> Yay, my first full length Phanfiction! There will probably be around 30-40 chapters by the end of it all. If you see this story on Wattpad under the username king_And_Lionheart, don't worry, it's me! I'll try to update this every Sunday:)

Dan hummed quietly to himself as he waited in the queue at Walgreen's. He wasn't quite sure what the song was, but it was catchy and he needed something to keep his mind off of the line ahead of him. Who knew, maybe he just created a whole new song and he'd become rich and famous overnight. He knew, however, that that was most definitely not the case, it was probably a jingle from a commercial he had seen the night before. After a few minutes, he got bored of the song, which he could only remember a very small part of, and pulled out his phone. When he saw the time, he almost dropped the prized device. He was about to miss his favourite part of the day. 

He quickly dug around in the back pocket of his jeans and drew out his headphones, placing one in each ear before plugging them into his phone, cursing himself silently for not having the sense of mind to plug them in before putting them in his ears as he heard the horrible click-screeching sound. He unlocked his phone, then clicked on the news app with his index finger. Once the app had opened, he went to the favourites section and clicked on London News Live, the only station on the list. In fact, the only reason Dan even had a news app was because of LNL.

His haste was apparently not needed, as when the video finally finished buffering it was still on sports. Dan sighed. He honestly couldn't care less about sports if his life depended on it. He drew his attention away from his phone screen as the person in front of him finally moved forward in line, and he took a small step forward as well. He turned his attention back to LNL, and felt his heart pump faster when the buff sports announcer, who looked like he could lift a small building and still have enough energy to hit the gym, said with a grin, "And now I'll hand you over to Phil, with the weather!"

Most would think it strange that Dan, of all people, got excited at the prospect of having the day's weather read out. However, it wasn't so much the content as the person reading the content that made Dan all aflutter. Phil Lester, the youngest weatherman that the LNL had ever had, had started announcing the weather when he was only seventeen. That was five years ago. And ever since thirteen year old Dan had first laid eyes on him, calling for a forecast of mild rain and patches of sun in the London area, the younger boy had been smitten. Now, he found himself moving into an apartment in London, and he hoped that one day maybe, just maybe, he could finally meet the man.

The camera switched from sir-lifts-a-lot over to a tall man with dark hair and piercing blue eyes, who smiled widely and said, "Thanks, Brad! Now, as you all know, it's supposed to be a rather cold winter, and I can't say that I can see any reason to think otherwise. London is in for a rainy day today, with a high of twelve and a low of just four degrees later on this evening..."

To Dan there was something special about Phil Lester. Maybe it was the fact that he spoke with enthusiasm while the other announcers used a monotonous drawl. Maybe it was because of how he wore a different bow tie every day. But perhaps it was because of how, to Dan, his voice sounded like honey, his eyes shone with the light of a thousand stars, and beneath the fancy suits and ever-changing bow ties he was just another boy.

With a final smile at the camera and a "Now to you, Rita!" Phil disappeared from the screen, replaced by a pretty red-haired lady.

Dan broke out of his reverie, and noticed that the customers directly ahead of him were just leaving the checkout. He quickly grabbed his shopping basket in one hand, while stuffing his phone and headphones into his pocket with his other, and greeted the checkout person.

"Find everything alright today?" He asked, scanning a loaf of bread.

Dan nodded, "Yeah, thanks."

The young man seemed to want to keep the conversation going, but could obviously tell that Dan wasn't one for talking. Once everything had been scanned, Dan swiped his debit card through the machine. He said goodbye to the checkout person and picked up his shopping bag, heading outside. His new apartment was only a few blocks away, so he could walk instead of taking a taxi. 

He pushed through the doors of the mall, and smiled slightly when he saw how overcast the sky was. Phil seemed to be right yet again. He continued on his usual route back to the apartment, which he had taken only a handful of times since first arriving in London just a week previously. As he walked past the LNL building, looking up at it wistfully as he usually did, however, he stopped. In the window was a sign proclaiming that the LNL were currently hiring for help off-camera. 

Dan stood, shopping bag in hand, and stared. He weighed his options, but ultimately shrugged his shoulders. What did he have to lose? It was a chance in a million, and he was going to take it. He doubted that he would actually get the job, anyway, so there wouldn't really be anything to be nervous about. 

He continued on his walk home, his mind drifting to think about what he would put in his resumé to make himself stand out from all the other applicants that the LNL were sure to get. Maybe he'd lie and tell them he's trilingual or something. But no, with his luck he'd almost certainly get caught in the lie by a person who could actually speak the languages. Better to stay with the truth. 

When he got to his building, he swung open the main door and headed up two flights of narrow stairs before arriving at his front door. He pulled his keys out from his pocket and unlocked the door with his free hand, then pushed the door open with his shoulder. He flicked on the light switches as he walked inside, not wanting to be surrounded by darkness when he was all alone in the apartment. He quickly unpacked his groceries, then headed to his bedroom, which currently contained a mattress with a few blankets and pillows, a printer tucked into the corner, five large boxes, and his laptop. He plopped down in the center of his makeshift bed and pulled the laptop onto his lap, turning it on. Once it had started up, he opened a blank Word document and hovered his fingers above the keys, pondering how he should start off and what he should include. When he finally settled on what he would write, he began typing, and didn't stop until he had completed the entire document. 

He scanned over it a few more times, then nodded with satisfaction before he clicked print. He reluctantly left the mattress to crawl across the floor and grab the sheet of paper that slid out of the printer. He placed the newly printed resumé on a box beside his bed, then crawled back under the covers and grabbed his laptop. Tomorrow morning he would hand in the sheet of paper to whoever was at the front desk of LNL, but for now Tumblr awaited him.


	2. Good News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I know I said I'd update every Sunday, but I've already got so many chapters ready to publish, so I thought I'd give you guys another one today!:)
> 
> If you ever have any questions about this fic, my Tumblr is gabriels-eye-candy

It had been two whole weeks since Dan had entered the LNL building and nervously handed over his resumé to the smiling receptionist. He had thought that he wouldn't be apprehensive about the outcome of the whole thing, but he had been wrong. So very, very wrong. The thought plagued him every day, tugging at his mind relentlessly. What if he got the job? What if he didn't? The only good thing was that he tried to keep himself busy so he wouldn't dwell on his anxiety, which meant that he had finally unpacked all his boxes and built all his DIY furniture (though not without difficulty). 

He was currently lounging across his new couch, his laptop resting on his stomach as he scrolled through Tumblr. He was about to click on a link, probably leading to a Rickroll, when he noticed his phone's screen light up with a notification. He picked it up and looked at the notification, and felt his heart pick up pace as he saw it was an email from the LNL. He considered ignoring it for a second, since it probably said that he hadn't gotten the job, but then he shook his head. After all, what if it was good news? He took a deep, steadying breath as he unlocked his phone and went into his mail, clicking on the newest email in his inbox. He braced himself for rejection, leaning away from his phone slightly, but as he read the words on the screen he began to smile, until he was practically grinning with happiness. He had gotten the job. He, Daniel James Howell, was going to start working at the LNL on Friday morning at 7am sharp. He continued reading, and had to restrain himself from screaming as he read, "We are also pleased to inform you that Mr. Lester has requested you as his personal assistant. We ask that you meet with him first thing Friday morning before he broadcasts in order to get all the information you need to complete your expected duties". 

Phil Lester, THE Phil Lester, had requested him as his personal assistant! Dan could feel tears building up behind his eyes, and had to force himself to take slower breaths so he wouldn't pass out from all the excitement. He was finally going to meet him. It was going to happen. This was actually happening. He was afraid that he was going to wake up any second and find himself laying in bed, having dreamt everything, but as more and more time ticked by he realized that it was, in fact, reality. 

Once he had calmed down enough, he reread the email, this time focusing on everything other than the fact that he was going to be working directly with Phil. It stated that he was to wear casual clothing suitable for work, and that he would be working on the third floor of the building, where Phil's dressing room as well as the broadcasting room was located. There was also some paperwork attached that he had to hand in the next day that just contained some spaces for Dan to fill in his personal information, so Dan quickly printed it out..

He carefully took his laptop off of his lap and got off the couch, heading to his newly filled bedroom closet to look for the clothes he would wear the next morning. He inspected all his shirts carefully for holes, finally settling on a lunar eclipse t-shirt, which really just looked like a white ring on a black background. He then predictably paired it with a pair of black jeans and black converse shoes. He carefully placed the clothing on top of his dresser, ready for him to wear on Friday. As he was leaving his bedroom to return to his beloved laptop, he stopped in front of the mirror. He wondered if he would be allowed to keep his ear piercings in, but eventually decided that they wouldn't care since he wouldn't actually be on camera, and anyway, he wanted Phil to meet and (maybe) get to know the real him. 

He smiled again as he grabbed the freshly printed paperwork before walking back to the couch and plopping down with his laptop. He was going to meet Phil. And who knew, maybe they'd even become friends. He reached onto the couch cushion beside him and grabbed his phone, sending quick messages to his mum, dad, and brother telling them that he had gotten the job. Within a minute his mum replied with: "Wow, my little boy's all grown up and working at LNL! I'm so proud of you! Maybe you'll even meet someone there? ;)" Dan smiled as he read the last sentence, shaking his head at the emoji. He spent a few moments filling out the paperwork before he got a message from his dad that said simply: "Atta boy! Good job Dan!". A few seconds after that his phone dinged with a message from his brother that read: "Wow. Amazing. Hurrah. (sarcasm if u couldn't tell)". Dan laughed, he hadn't expected anything different.

He spent the next hour filling out the paperwork he had been sent, and he could have sworn that he had to sign his name at least twenty times. Once everything had been completely filled out, he put the paperwork on the small table that stood beside the front door of his apartment, which also held his keys, license, and other such things. 

He then walked into the kitchen and began making his lunch, which he then proceeded to eat hastily. After all, the internet waited for no one. Especially not for fans of Phil Lester who had to keep up to date on everything he did.

***********************************************************************************

Friday morning came around quicker than Dan expected, and he groaned when the alarm he had set on his phone, Uprising by Muse, started blaring at 5:30 in the morning. He grabbed the phone from his bedside table and turned off the alarm, then layed back down in his bed, surrounded by a cocoon of warm blankets. He debated staying in bed for the rest of the day, but then he smiled as he reminded himself that he would be meeting Phil today. 

He rolled out of bed, shivering slightly when the cold air hit his skin. He walked sluggishly to the bathroom, where he took a quick shower. Once he had dried himself off he walked back into his room and changed into the clothes he had put on the dresser the day before. He pulled his socks onto his feet, then slid his shoes on, before walking to the mirror and putting his piercings in his ears. Before leaving his room, he grabbed his phone and slid it into his back pocket.

Next on his list of things to do, he walked to the kitchen and ate two pieces of toast, too lazy to actually make a proper, nutritious breakfast. Although if he was being honest with himself, he was always too lazy to make a nutritious breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner. Or snacks. 

He put his plate in the dishwasher, then walked back into the bathroom to brush his teeth. After doing a quick fringe check in the mirror, he pulled out his phone to check the time. It was 6:20, and he had to be at the LNL building by 7, but he had been asked to speak to Phil before he broadcasted, so he thought it was probably time to start walking there.

He had a quick drink of water, then walked to the front door, grabbing his keys and the paperwork he had filled out the previous day before walking out into the hallway and locking the door behind himself. He walked down the two flights of narrow stairs and out the main door, automatically looking up to check the weather, and saw to his surprise that it was rather sunny out. He couldn't remember the last time he could actually see the sky, and thought that perhaps it was a sign that things would go right for him today. 

He took quicker steps than he usually would, not wanting to waste any time in getting to the LNL. When he saw the large building looming in front of him his stomach did a nervous flip. He told himself he was being stupid, he had been here dozens of times before. He took a deep breath, then stepped through the revolving doors and into the large room beyond it. 

He walked over to the receptionist, the same one he had given his resumé to two weeks previously. The pretty blonde smiled up at him welcomingly.

"Hi, Dan, right?" She asked sweetly.

Dan gave a small smile, "That's me, yeah. I have the paperwork I was supposed to do..."

The receptionist took the papers from him, scanning it before saying, "Everything seems in order. You'll be up on floor three, I'm pretty sure. That's where all the magic happens. The elevators are right over there," she said, pointing to the other side of the room.

Dan laughed nervously, "Thanks, uh," he glanced at the receptionist's name tag, "Kelly. I'll see you around." 

"Bye, Dan." Kelly replied, smiling, placing his paperwork in a folder as he walked away.

Dan pressed the button to call the elevator down, and stepped inside when the doors slid open. His heart began beating erratically as he watched the floor level increasing, and he felt slightly nauseous when the elevator dinged as it stopped at the third floor and opened its doors. As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he was overwhelmed by how busy it was. There were people walking around everywhere, carrying camera equipment and dragging cables behind them, while others shouted across the room at each other to organize everything. 

Dan had no idea where to go, but thankfully a guy about his age with curly brown hair, carrying a large camera, stopped in front him.

"Hey, you new here?" The boy asked.

Dan nodded, "Yeah, was I that obvious?"

The boy let out a chuckle, then said, "Just stay right here, I'll be back in a second."

He walked away quickly, disappearing in the sea of electronic and human chaos. He returned a few moments later, no longer carrying the camera. He smiled, and stuck out his hand for Dan.

"You can call me PJ." He said cheerily when Dan shook his hand.

"I'm Dan." Dan replied, and PJ nodded.

"So where do you need to get to, Dan?" PJ asked.

"Phil's dressing room? I'm supposed to talk to him before he broadcasts."

"So you're the lucky guy that gets to work with Phil? You hit the jackpot there, he's awesome. His dressing room is just to the right here, you'll see it. The door has cat stickers all over it."

Dan found PJ's last comment strange, but thanked him.

"Hey, no problem. If you ever wanna get a drink or something just find me, I'm always down for some socializing."

Dan nodded, thanking PJ again before he walked to the right, keeping close to the wall so that he wouldn't be in anyone's way. PJ seemed like a great guy, but Dan really wasn't one for human interaction. When he saw the door with cat stickers on it, he laughed. PJ had been serious. He reached forward and knocked three times on the door's solid wooden surface. He barely had time for his nerves to calm down before he heard fast footsteps on the other side of the door, and then suddenly the door was wrenched open, revealing Phil in his dress pants, but with half his shirt buttons undone and his untied bowtie hanging around his neck.

"Are you Dan?" He asked hurriedly.

Dan nodded, too stunned to speak.

"Thank you!" Phil yelled, relief evident in his voice, "Now get in here, quick!" 

He grabbed Dan's arm and pulled him into the room, almost causing the younger boy to trip. What the hell was going on?


	3. Getting Settled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy my lovelies:) We're getting close to a really interesting chapter...

“What-why...what's happening?” Dan asked loudly.  
“It was sitting there, just sitting there, staring at me! I didn't see it, and then I went to pick up my phone and it jumped on my arm, Dan!” Phil replied hysterically. 

“What jumped on you?” Dan asked, still confused.

“That!” Phil exclaimed, pointing at the ground.

Dan looked, but he couldn't see anything. Then he noticed the tiny spider, about the size of his pinky nail.

Dan looked at Phil with exasperation, then burst into laughter. 

“It's not funny!” Phil protested.

Dan shook his head, moving forward slightly and stepping on the spider, squishing it under his shoe. 

“There, it's gone.” Dan announced.

Phil sighed with relief, immediately seeming a hundred times calmer than he had before.

“Thanks.” 

Dan nodded and shrugged his shoulders. Now that the spider was dead, Dan was yet again starstruck. 

“So I guess I should tell you what your job is, exactly.” Phil said, buttoning up his shirt the rest of the way, “Pretty much you just need to help me get ready in the mornings. Bring me coffee, which is gross but makes me look professional, help me put my mic on, and help me tie my bowtie. I kinda suck at it and they get mad at me when it's not done properly, and they don't let me wear the clip-on ones..”

“Alright.” Dan replied, “Do you...do you want me to help you with that right now?”

“Please.” Phil answered, walking closer to Dan. 

Dan reached forward and took the two ends of the bowtie in his hands, thankful that his mum had taught him how to do it. He couldn't bring himself to look Phil in the eye, however. They were so close that Dan could smell his cologne, and feel his breath lightly hit his cheek. He could feel blood rushing to his face, and hoped that Phil wouldn't notice the blush. Even though Dan was taller, he still felt inconceivably small and vulnerable next to Phil.

Phil didn't seem to share his discomfort, as he began chatting happily, “I don't want you to call me Mr. Lester or anything though, just Phil. And when you get me a coffee or anything like that you can get one too. On me, of course. And you don't have to act all proper or anything either, just be yourself. Do you know why I chose you as my assistant, Dan?”

Dan shook his head, taking a step back as he pulled Phil's bowtie snug against the top of his shirt.

“Because you're actually around my age. Everyone else was, like, in their forties. We wouldn't have had anything in common!”

Dan just stared at Phil. Did they have anything in common? What if they did? What if they became friends? Or what if they didn't and it just became really awkward?

“Dan, are you alright?” Phil asked, furrowing his brow slightly.

“Yeah, yeah, um...it's just I've been kind of a fan of yours for...well...ages. Not in a creepy way though, I just like your, uh-” Dan hesitated, thinking of something to say, “-energy.” Wow, Dan, amazing. Real good job there, not creepy or weird at all.

“Really? I didn't know I have fans. That's so cool!” Phil replied with a smile, “I need you to get my mic before I go on, if that's okay?”

“Yeah, sure. I mean, I work for you now so I guess you can order me to do whatever you want.” Dan answered, and almost cringed. Could he sound any more awkward than he was?

“I suppose I can.” Phil said, and did an evil laugh before continuing, “If you just leave the room and keep going the way you were when you were finding this room, then the next door down will be the electronics store room. There's a guy called Chris who works there and if you tell him that you're there for my mic, he'll know what to do.”

Dan nodded, then left the room. As soon as he closed the door behind himself he let out a breath that he hadn't even noticed he had been holding. He had met Phil, and it hadn't gone half as bad as it could have. He didn't think he had embarrassed himself too much, at least. He turned right and continued walking the way he had before, stopping in front of the next room he came upon, the door of which was already open. He walked inside and spotted a short man, a little older than himself, with straight brown hair. Dan assumed that this must be Chris. He was on the floor, rummaging through a box filled with cords, but stopped when he saw Dan.

“Can I help you with something?” Chris asked, standing up and dusting off his hands. Apparently his short stature was only some sort of optical illusion, because when he was upright he was about the same height as Dan.

“Yeah, I'm Dan, Phil's new assistant. He told me to ask you for his mic?” Dan explained. He was beginning to wonder just how many new people he would have to speak to today.

“Oh yeah, that's right!” Chris said, and immediately smiled at Dan, walking forward and shaking his hand quickly. “I'm Chris, by the way. Now, let's see...”

Chris walked to a shelf in one corner of the room and lifted what looked like a very small version of a handheld microphone attached to some sort of clip out of one of the boxes on it. A white sticker with Phil's name on it was stuck onto the mic, and Chris carefully peeled it off and threw it into a trashcan. 

“Here you go. Do you know how to put it on?” 

Dan shook his head, so Chris took the mic back and quickly demonstrated how to do it, clipping the mic onto the collar of Dan's shirt.

“Got it?” Chris asked.

“Yeah, thanks.” Dan replied. 

“If you need anything else, you know where to find me.” Chris said happily, returning to the box of cords on the ground.

Dan left the electronics room and returned to Phil's dressing room, taking a deep breath before walking through the door.

“I got the mic.” Dan said, walking towards Phil, who looked up from where he was seated on a small couch.

Phil got up from his seat and let Dan put the microphone on him.

“How long until you broadcast?” Dan asked him.

Phil took his phone out of his back pocket and checked the time before putting it back.

“Fifteen minutes.” Phil answered, sliding a hand nervously through his hair, “You know, I actually get really nervous before I go on camera.”

“Seriously?” Dan asked, surprised. Phil always seemed so confident and at-ease while reading the news.

Phil nodded, “I'm not the most outgoing, social person. I have to force myself to go out there.”

“I know the feeling.” Dan replied with a short laugh. “But how come? You've got everything!”

“I don't...I don't want to talk about it. Sorry.” Phil said, looking away from Dan.

“Okay.” Dan said awkwardly. They stood in uncomfortable silence for a few seconds, then Phil cleared his throat.

“I better go out there and get set up. Could you get me a coffee for when I'm finished?” He asked.

“Yeah, sure. Where do I get it from?” Dan said. 

“If you go down a floor there's a little place you can get it from. It's free for anyone that works here. I take it with milk and two sugars.”

“Aren't you lactose intolerant?” Dan asked before he could stop himself. He could feel his face heating up, and he looked down at the floor with embarrassment. Now Phil was gonna think he was some sort of stalker.

“Yeah, I am, but I can't stand coffee without milk. How did you know that, though?” Phil answered, bewildered. 

“I saw it in one of your interviews.” Dan confessed, blushing furiously.

“You really are a fan, aren't you?” Phil said. “Huh. Well, Dan the fan, I'm gonna go broadcast now. I think you're supposed to go help the techies, if I remember correctly. If you walk with me I can take you to them.”

Dan agreed, and they left the room together. They walked towards the set where Phil would be filmed, and Dan saw that PJ and Chris were sitting in chairs there. PJ was behind a camera, setting up the appropriate angle, while Chris was looking at something on a computer screen.

“I know you've met Chris, and that's-” Phil began.

“PJ.” Dan said, “I met him earlier. He told me where your room was.”

PJ smiled up at Dan, then turned to Phil, “Hey Phil, Chris and I were wondering if you want to join us for dinner tonight?”

“Sure, I don’t think I'm doing anything.” Phil answered.

“Dan, you wanna come along too?” PJ asked.

Dan considered his options for a second. If he accepted the invite he'd have to socialize when he could be on the internet, but if he declined he might seem rude. 

“Yeah, I'll join you guys.” He said. 

“Perfect! I'll text you guys the details as soon as work's over.” PJ said with a smile, “Speaking of which, Phil, you better get up there.”

Phil nodded, then walked over to the large green screen and stood in front of it.

“Okay, so Dan, today I'll show you what you need to do. Come sit down.” Chris said, pointing at an empty chair beside him. 

Dan sat down as he was asked, and then Chris handed him a pair of headphones.

“Don't put those on just yet, wait until I've finished explaining. Are you ready for it?” Chris said dramatically.

Dan nodded, preparing himself to pay close attention to what Chris was about to say.

“You wear those headphones while PJ films. If you hear any static, or background noise, you tell me.”

Dan sat expectantly, waiting for him to continue, but he didn't.

“Is that all?” Dan asked.

“Yup, that's all. Easy, right?” Chris said, grinning.

“Yeah, I was expecting something complicated.” Dan admitted.

“Alright guys, they're just finishing up with Sports. We're live in five...four...three...” PJ said, readying his camera.

Chris signaled to Dan to put on his headphones, which he did hurriedly. 

“Two...one...and we're on!” PJ said, switching his camera on.

Dan heard Phil's voice through the headphones, as clear as if he was standing right next to him. He watched Phil as he spoke, seeing him from a completely new perspective now that he knew that Phil was afraid of speaking on air. 

Phil only had one small segment to do live, but he also had to read out weather for later in the day, which would be used as a voiceover. 

About forty-five minutes had gone by when Chris tapped Dan on the shoulder, causing him to jump slightly. 

Chris laughed quietly at him, then motioned for him to take off his headphones.

“If you're gonna get Phil his coffee, you should probably go now. He's only got fifteen minutes left.” Chris whispered, and Dan thanked him before getting up from his chair and stretching. He walked back to the elevator he had used earlier in the morning and rode it down to the second level. He got out when the elevator dinged, and immediately the smell of coffee and freshly baked goods hit him, causing his mouth to water. 

Thankfully, there was no lineup, so Dan could get his order right away. 

“Hi there! What can I getcha?” The brunette asked brightly.

“One coffee with milk and two sugars, and another with milk and one sugar.” Dan answered, giving her a smile. 

“Alrighty, I'll fix that up for you real quick. Do you work here?”

“Yeah I do, just started today, actually.” Dan replied.

“Then there's no charge for you, uh...” She said, trailing off meaningfully.

“Dan.” 

“Dan.” She repeated with a smile, “I'll get you your coffees.”

Five minutes passed as Dan watched her making the coffee in the back. She returned, handing the cups to Dan.

“I'm Sarah, by the way.” She said, almost hopefully.

“Nice meeting you, Sarah. I'll see you later.” Dan said, then walked back to the elevator, pressing the buttons with his elbow since his hands were full.

When he got back up to the third floor, Phil was just finishing up. PJ held his hand to the side of the camera where Phil could see, starting off with five fingers then lowering each until his hand was in a fist, at which point he turned his camera off.

Phil sighed, walking down from the raised platform towards his crew. When he saw Dan with his coffee he smiled and thanked him before taking it and gulping down some of the hot liquid.

“Hey Dan, can I get your number so I can text you about tonight?” PJ asked, getting his own phone out of his pocket and handing it to Dan.

Dan typed in his number and handed it back to PJ, who smiled. He always seemed to be smiling.

Chris stepped towards Phil and unclipped his mic.

“I'll keep this in the store room, okay Dan?” He said.

“Okay.” Dan replied. 

“Well, Dan, that's all you needed to do today, so you're free to go.” Phil said, “Hopefully I haven't scared you off from coming back tomorrow.” 

Dan shook his head with a smile, “Nah, I don't scare that easily.”

“I'll see you tonight then, yeah?” Phil said.

“Yeah, see ya Phil. Bye guys.” Dan said, giving a small wave before he made his way back to the elevator and down to the main floor, where Kelly greeted him as he walked out of the building. 

As he walked back to his apartment he thought that he had definitely been very lucky to get a job that was so easy and paid so well, along with only taking about two and a half hours of his time. And even those two and a half hours were spent around Phil, so he really couldn't complain. Plus, Chris and PJ seemed like really nice guys, and Dan was sure he'd get along with them.


	4. A Night Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gosh this chapter is sugary sweet, I tell ya! Enjoy, my precious squareflakes:)

Dan was eating a late lunch at three while watching YouTube videos on his laptop when his phone screen lit up with a text. He paused the video and picked up his phone, unlocking it and taking a look at the message. He saw that it was from PJ, so he quickly added the number to his contacts before reading the text. It said simply:

PJ: 4:30 tonight at The Empire (That little restaurant by the London Eye) sound good?

Dan: Yeah sounds good. How should I dress?

PJ: Just what you had on today will be fine.

Dan: Alright I'll see you later then.

Dan put his phone down, then he returned to watching Phil's old interviews. He continually reminded himself, however, that he should definitely not, at any point, make the mistake of letting Phil know that he watches them again. Once was more than enough. For the next hour he lost himself in the blue eyes and smooth voice of Phil, but when he realized the time he quickly put aside his laptop. After all, the real thing was better than an image on a screen.

He did a quick fringe check in the bathroom mirror, then slid his phone and keys into his pocket before heading out the front door. He made his way out to the pavement beside his building and flagged down a taxi, climbing into the back seat.

“Where to?” The driver asked, turning to look at Dan. 

“The Empire restaurant, by the London Eye.” Dan answered.

The driver nodded, “I know the place. I'll have you there in ten minutes.”

The taxi pulled away from the curb, and the driver began talking.

“I went there with my wife a few times. It's actually where I proposed to her. Are you going there on a date?”

“No, I'm not. My new coworkers invited me out to dinner with them and my new boss.” Dan replied.

“Ah, I see. Where are you working?”

“The LNL.”

“Nice, nice. What do you do there?”

“I'm Phil Lester's, the weatherman's, personal assistant. I also help out with the sound when he's being filmed.”

“That's fantastic! My daughter works there too, she owns the coffee shop.”

“Is her name Sarah by any chance?” Dan asked.

“Yeah, that's her. She's beautiful, isn't she?”

Dan smiled, “Yeah, she is.” 

The rest of the trip they spent in silence, but it was comfortable. When the taxi stopped Dan got out and paid the driver, thanking him before he drove off.

Dan looked around, and spotted Chris and PJ, who waved him over to join them. 

“Phil hasn't arrived yet, we're just waiting on him now.” Chris said once Dan was beside them. 

They stood outside the restaurant, chatting amongst themselves. Dan discovered that Phil had known Chris since high school, and that they met PJ when the two of them moved to London. By doing some quick math in his head during their discussion, Dan calculated that Chris was the same age as Phil, and that PJ was three years younger than them, making him a year older than Dan. 

They had been waiting for about ten minutes when Phil showed up, hopping out of a taxi. He was the only one who had changed out of his work clothes. He was now wearing tight black skinny jeans, a light blue t-shirt, and black converse. 

“Hey guys, sorry I'm late! There was an owl that kept swooping me. I didn't even know they could do that!” Phil said.

Dan laughed along with Chris and PJ while Phil shook his head at them. 

“Are we ready to go inside?” PJ asked, and everyone nodded. 

Phil held the door open as everyone entered the building, which was not nearly as fancy as its name suggested. It was dimly lit, with fairy lights hung along the dark wooden walls. Chris spoke to the person at the front of the restaurant, who smiled at them and led them to a table in the far corner of the restaurant. 

Chris and PJ sat on one side of the table, while Dan and Phil took seats on the opposite side. 

“So Dan, what'd you think of your first day at LNL?” PJ asked. 

“Well, there were a lot of people.” Dan answered jokingly, earning a laugh from Phil, which caused Dan's heart to pick up pace. “But it was great, I really liked it.”

“I hear that you're a fan of Phil's?” Chris said, winking at Dan.

Dan blushed as he answered, “Yeah, I am.”

“Well, that's just gonna boost his ego even more.” PJ teased.

“Oh shut up, Peej.” Phil said with a laugh. “My ego is not that big.”

“Nah, but your head is.” Chris said with a grin.

“No it's not! You two are so mean. At least Dan doesn't make fun of me.” Phil said, but he was smiling.

They continued their playful banter until a waiter appeared to ask if they were ready to order, which they were.

Chris and PJ both ordered steaks, Phil got pork chops, and Dan asked for a salad.

“No meat for you, Dan?” Chris pointed out once the waiter left.

Dan shook his head, “I'm on a vegan diet.”

“I tried that once,” said PJ, “it didn't work for me. I like meat too much.”

Chris laughed, choking on the water he had been drinking.

“You two are so immature sometimes.” Phil said.

“Excuse me, I take that as an insult. I am always immature.” Stated Chris seriously.

“Can't argue with that.” Agreed PJ. 

Just then the waiter returned, carrying four plates balanced precariously on his arms. 

Once he had placed their meals in front of them, he asked, “Would you care for anything to drink?”

Chris looked around the table, and when everyone nodded he turned to the waiter and said, “Yeah, we'll have a red wine, thanks.”

The waiter left, then returned a few moments later with a bottle of wine, which he poured into the four glasses on the table. Once the glasses were filled he walked away yet again. 

The four men were quiet as they ate their meals and drank their wine. Once they had all finished, however, they immediately started chatting again.

“So PJ, how was your vacation?” Phil asked.

“It was, uh, it was good.” PJ answered, blushing furiously.

“What happened?” Phil asked curiously.

“I may have fallen into a fountain in front of hundreds of people while trying to take a selfie.” PJ said, blushing even more as he recounted the incident. 

Dan and Phil burst into laughter as PJ ducked his head in embarrassment. 

“Aw come on guys, leave Peej alone.” Chris said, dipping his head to kiss PJ's cheek. 

The table became suddenly very quiet as Chris realized what he had done, and all three turned to look at Dan to gauge his reaction.

“Listen, Dan, we get-” Chris started, avoiding his eyes.

“No, it's fine, I'm a-” Dan began, but caught himself just in time, “-I'm fine with it, really.”

They eyed him strangely, having noticed how he changed what he was going to say halfway through his sentence, but they didn't ask him about it.

“Well that's good, then.” Said PJ, looking relieved, “Say, we should go on the London Eye tonight.”

Everyone agreed that it was a great idea, and Chris called the waiter over to ask for the cheque. Once he had paid, even though both Dan and Phil argued that they should split the price, they left the restaurant and walked over to the London Eye. 

There was a small lineup, since it wasn't tourist season. As they waited in the chilly late-evening air, Dan looked around at all the people walking about, wondering what each of them were like. He felt a tap on his elbow, and turned to see Phil grinning at him.

Phil pointed just in front of them, where Chris and PJ had started making out.

“I think we should take our own car, they look as if they could use some time alone.” Phil said.

“Yeah, that idea doesn't sound half bad. I'd rather not be stuck in a confined space with them in their current state.” Dan agreed with a smirk.

Less than a minute later, the Ferris wheel came to a stop, and the first group of people climbed aboard, switching places with the people that were on it before them. Chris and PJ got on the second car, and Phil told them that he and Dan would get the next one. When the third car stopped, Dan and Phil got on. Dan's palms were sweating slightly as he realized that he was going to be alone with Phil for at least half an hour, in a rather small area.

Dan walked over to the opposite side of the capsule and rested his arms on the handrail, looking out over London. 

“I just love the view from up here.” Phil said, standing right beside Dan. “Especially around now, when the sun's almost going down.”

“Yeah, it's nice.” Dan agreed.

“Dan, can I ask you something?” Phil asked after a moment of silence.

Dan turned to look at Phil, and felt his knees go weak when he looked straight into Phil's bright blue eyes. No no no, an obsession with Phil was okay, he could still handle that. But he simply couldn't let himself fall for him.

“Yeah, go ahead.” Dan replied.

“Back in the restaurant,” Phil began hesitantly, “when Chris kissed PJ, it seemed as if you were going to say something, but then changed your mind.”

“You noticed?” Dan asked, and Phil nodded. Dan sighed, looking away from Phil's intense eyes. 

“You don't have to answer if you don't want to, I was just wondering.” Phil said.

“No, it's okay.” Dan said. It was probably better to tell him now rather than later, anyway. “Uh, I was going to say that I'm...that I'm bi.”

Phil didn't say anything for a while, so Dan turned to face him again, and saw that he was smiling.

“What?” Dan asked, confused by his reaction.

“No, nothing, it's just...that's what you didn't want us to know? You do realize that both Chris and PJ are openly gay, right? Well, actually, no, that’s wrong. Chris is bi, I just forget that occasionally because of how long he and Peej have been together. Anyway, It's not like any of us are gonna judge you.”

Dan shrugged, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his chest, “I guess you're right.”

“So how many people know?” Phil asked.

“Not many. My parents, grandparents, and little brother. That's pretty much it. You're the only person I've told that isn't family.” Dan answered.

“Wow, I feel honoured.” Phil said with a grin.

“You should," Dan replied with a joking grin, "I've told you something personal, now it's your turn to tell me something.”

“I guess that's fair. What do you wanna know?” Phil asked.

Dan shrugged, but then remembered their previous conversation, and said, “Why don't you like being on camera?”

Phil's smile immediately disappeared. It took a while for him to answer, “When I was little I used to get made fun of. The other kids called me ugly, and fat, and stupid. Then I got into high school and it got even worse. They started calling me worthless, and told me I should kill myself. Then...then something else happened and they caught it on camera. It spread all through the school, and I was just so upset over it. Ever since then I don't like the idea of being filmed.”

By the end of his explanation, Phil's eyes had begun to shimmer slightly with unshed tears, which he hastily wiped away with his hand.

Dan reached out and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, “You know, Phil, they were completely wrong. You are none of those things.”

“How do you know? You've barely even met me.” Phil replied.

“That might be true, but I've known you for a lot longer.” Dan said with a smile, making Phil chuckle.

“Stalker.” Phil said jokingly, smirking at Dan.

“Oh shut up.” Dan said, smiling back at him. 

They stood like that for a while, just looking at each other, until Phil said softly, “Look, the sun's setting.”

Dan looked outside, and true enough, the sky was slowly turning from orange, yellow, and red to the deep black-blue of night, and it was truly magnificent. 

“Beautiful, isn't it?” Phil said, taking in all the colours.

“Yeah,” Dan replied quietly, looking at Phil, “it sure is.”


	5. Social Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another fluffy little chapter for you guys! Hope you enjoy:) I'm thinking of making an 8tracks playlist for each chapter, and then just one for the overall story, so I'll let you know when that is up!

The next morning, Dan was awoken by the sound of his phone ringing. He groaned in protest when he grabbed his phone and saw it was only quarter past eleven. Quarter past eleven. In the morning. On a Saturday. After having stayed up until at least one in the morning. The number wasn't even registered in his phone as one of his contacts. He sighed and pressed the green button.

“Hello?” He said sleepily.

“Hi, did I wake you? I'm so sorry!” Said the voice on the other end of the line.

Dan immediately sat up in bed, eyes wide with surprise, “Phil!?”

“Yeah, sorry. I asked PJ for your number.”

“Oh, okay. Uh...what're you calling for?” Dan said, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up further.

“I was wondering if you're busy at all today?”

“Nope. I have practically no social life.” Dan replied jokingly.

“Well, then do you want to join me for lunch, and then we can hang out afterwards?” 

“Yeah, sure. When and where?” 

“There's a little café close to the LNL building, if you want I can come and get you and we can walk down together? And I was thinking around twelve, but if you need more time to get ready-”

“No, no, twelve is great! I'll text you my address and you can come over.”

“Okay, bye Dan.”

“Bye, Phil.” Dan said, then hung up. 

He added Phil's number to his contacts, then sent a text with his address to him. He quickly jumped out of bed, then made his way to the kitchen where he ate a banana, just so that his stomach wouldn't start growling before he ate lunch. He then brushed his teeth and fixed his hair before walking back into his bedroom to pick out clothes. He settled on a long sleeved galaxy print t-shirt with (you guessed it) black skinny jeans and black converse shoes. He got changed, then moved to the mirror to put his piercings in. 

He seriously couldn't believe that he had just received a phone call from Phil, and that they were gonna have lunch and hang out. A month ago, he was still scrolling through chatboards and fanpages the whole day, completely fanning over someone who he thought he would never meet. And now, thanks to the fact that he had sent in a resumé, he was working for Phil, and they were getting along perfectly. He couldn't believe his luck. 

He heard his doorbell ring, which could only mean that Phil was downstairs. He quickly grabbed his phone and keys on the way out, shoving them in his back pocket as he locked the door behind himself and made his way downstairs. He shoved the door open, and heard a scream as Phil jumped back, just barely escaping the swinging door. 

“Sorry Phil, I didn't know you'd be standing right there.” Dan apologized, blushing slightly. 

“It's alright, I don't think I died.” Phil said with a grin, pretending to check himself for injuries. “Shall we get going?”

“Yeah, let's go.” Dan said, and they began to walk down the street.

“I'm sorry for yesterday. I mean, you've only just met me, I didn't mean to just dump all of that emotional drama on you.” Phil said after a little while.

“It's okay. I was the one who asked you to tell me, anyway.” Dan pointed out.

“True. So, tell me about yourself, Dan.” Phil said, looking at him with his piercing blue eyes.

“What do you want to know?” Dan asked.

“Everything.” Phil replied, and Dan smiled at the sincerity in his voice.

“Okay, um, I have a brother called Adrian.”

“Older or younger?”

“Younger, by two years. Do you have any siblings?”

“Yeah,” Phil replied, “he's older than me, though. His name's Martyn.”

“Hmm what else is there to tell you? Oh, my middle name is James.” 

“Mine's Michael.”

“Philip Michael Lester.” Dan said, trying out the name.

“Yup, just don't go telling everyone on those fanpages about it.”

“I'm not going-” Dan started, but when he looked at Phil he was grinning. 

“I was just kidding, Dan.” Phil said with a laugh, then added teasingly, “You can tell my fans.”

Dan rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“How many do I have, anyway?” Phil asked, curious.

“How many what?” Dan said.

“Fans.”

“I dunno, quite a lot. I'd say at least a million, if not more. How didn't you know you have fans? Don't you go on social networks? And how about all those interviews you've done?”

“I do go on social networks, a lot, actually. I guess the people I follow just don't post things about me. And I always thought that the people that watched the interviews only watched them for the other celebrities that were with me.”

Dan stared at Phil. Could he really be so oblivious? 

Phil looked at Dan and saw him staring. “What?” He asked.

“No, nothing.” Dan said hastily, blushing as he looked away from the older boy.

“Dan, tell me!” Phil begged.

Dan turned his head back to face Phil, cursing himself for not having a stronger will as he looked into his blue, blue eyes.

“It's just...you're pretty much a perfect human being. You're funny, attractive, kind...of course you'd have people flocking all over you.” Dan stated matter-of-factly. 

This time it was Phil who blushed and looked away. 

They walked in comfortable silence for a few more minutes until Phil turned left into a small café called Tara's Tea. Outside the building were about ten small, circular tables with umbrellas and garden chairs. There were also tables inside. 

“Do you want to sit inside or outside?” Phil asked.

Dan looked up at the sky, which was a beautiful light blue colour.

“Definitely outside.” He said, and Phil agreed wholeheartedly. 

They went inside to tell the waitress that they would be outside, and then headed back out to sit at one of the small tables. 

They looked over the menus that were placed neatly on the checkered tabletops, and when they had each decided on what they were going to get, Phil called the waitress over.

“I'll have the cherry pie, with a cup of Earl Grey, please.” Dan said, smiling at the waitress.

“Alright,” she said, writing down his order on a small notepad before turning to Phil, “and for you, handsome?”

“I'll have the apple crisp, with cream, with a cup of Orange Pekoe, thanks.” Phil said.

The waitress scribbled down his order as well, then winked at him before walking back inside the building, swinging her hips an unnecessary amount. 

“She was totally flirting with you!” Dan said when she was safely out of range of hearing.

“Was she?” Phil asked.

“You didn't notice?” Dan asked exasperatedly.

Phil shook his head.

Dan was about to say something else, but the waitress reappeared from the building carrying their orders. She placed the items on the table in front of them, then winked at Phil again before walking away once more.

When she was gone, Dan reached across the table and grabbed a napkin on the side of Phil's plate. As he had suspected, there was a name and number written on it in pen.

He smirked, handing the napkin back to Phil. “See, I told you she likes you.”

Phil shrugged, “She's not my type.” 

Dan raised an eyebrow at him.

“What? She's really not.” Phil said defensively. “I don't like people that try too hard.”

“Ahuh, sure, whatever you say.” Dan said, eyeing him suspiciously. 

Phil shook his head and began to eat his pie, occasionally taking a sip of his tea. Dan eagerly followed his lead, digging into his cherry pie with relish. 

“That was delicious.” Phil said, putting down his fork and leaning back in his chair.

Dan agreed, pushing aside his own plate. 

He looked over at Phil, and had to bite his tongue to keep himself from laughing. Phil had cream on his top lip and in the corner of his mouth.

“Phil, you've got a little something there,” Dan said, trying to keep a straight face as he motioned to his mouth.

Phil quickly grabbed a napkin and wiped the cream off, his face turning bright red. 

“Could you imagine if I walked out of the café like that? It would've been so embarrassing!” Phil said, looking mortified at the very thought. “I guess that's what friends are for though, right? To keep you from embarrassing yourself.”

“You consider me a friend?” Dan asked happily.

“Yeah, obviously. I wouldn't ask some random person to have lunch with me.”

Dan nodded, though internally he was screaming with joy. “So, where are we going after we've finished here?” 

“I was thinking we could go to Madame Tussauds? I haven't been there in years.” Phil said excitedly, but then added quickly, “But if you wanted to do something else-”

“No, it sounds like fun,” Dan assured him, “I've never actually been there.”

“Good, then it'll be a new experience for you. Are you ready to leave?” 

“Yeah, let's go.”

Phil went inside and called the waitress to clear their table, as well as paying for their meals. Dan attempted to pay for his own, but Phil insisted. They managed to wave down a taxi, and Phil told him where they were going. 

“You know, you could totally get a picture with yourself there.” Dan said as the taxi pulled away into the traffic.

“I know, you should've seen me when they first showed the figure to me, I probably seemed insane!” Phil said with a laugh. 

“What is it like, being famous?” Dan asked.

“To be honest, I don't really feel any different. Maybe it's different for actors and singers, y'know, those sorts of celebrities. In any case, I don’t really consider myself famous, I just…do my job.” Phil answered with a shrug.

They talked aimlessly for the rest of their twenty minute taxi ride, and once Phil had paid the driver they walked up the steps to the renowned wax figure museum. 

They stood in the rather long queue, but one of the people working behind the desk recognized Phil. He walked over towards them, smiling hugely. 

“Wow, Phil Lester!” He said, reaching forward and shaking Phil's hand. “Here, you can go right through.”

The man started to lead Phil away, and Phil took hold of Dan's wrist so that they wouldn't be separated in the large crowd of people they had to walk through. Dan hoped that Phil couldn't feel the way his pulse quickened at the simple touch.

They finally emerged through the crowd, and Dan breathed a sigh of relief, but almost wished that the crowd had been bigger so that Phil didn't have to let go. 

“If you guys need anything, just come back to the front desk and we'll help you out. Here's a map of the premises for you, I hope you enjoy your visit!” The man said, handing Phil a brochure, before walking back behind the desk.

“Alright, now that we've finished crowd-swimming, where to first?” Dan said, looking over Phil's shoulder at the map he was unfolding.

“One Direction!” Phil said, his eyes lighting up.

“Okay,” Dan said, smirking at his enthusiasm, “1D it is!”

On their way to the sensational boyband's figures, they stopped to get photos with Benedict Cumberbatch, Einstein, and Madame Tussaud herself. 

They also found the Arnold Schwarzenegger's figure, at which point Dan got Phil to take a photo of him flexing next to the wax idol. 

“My muscles are way bigger than his.” Dan said jokingly, making Phil roll his eyes.

They then continued on their path to One Direction's figures, which were now within eyesight. 

“I can't believe how excited I am, here, take a photo of me!” Phil said, handing his phone to Dan before jogging towards the five wax figurines. He stepped up onto the bleachers they were sitting on and stood in the centre, resting one hand on Zayn's shoulder, and the other on Liam's. 

“Smile!” Dan yelled up at him, before snapping a few photos. 

Phil came bounding back down from the figures, “Your turn.”

Dan handed him back his phone, as well as his own, then made his way up to the same spot that Phil had been in just before. He knelt down, draping one arm across Liam's shoulders and the other arm across Zayn's. 

“Say cheese!” Phil said loudly.

“Cheese!” Dan said, smiling widely.

After a few seconds, he got up and walked back down to Phil. Phil handed him his phone, and Dan immediately looked at the photos. They actually hadn't turned out too bad.

“You know where we should go next?” Dan said.

“Where?” Phil asked.

“You.” Dan replied with a grin. 

“Okay, let's go see me.” Phil said, also grinning. 

They followed the map to the Media Icons section, then scanned the area for Phil's figure.

“There you are!” Dan exclaimed when he finally spotted it, pointing at the suit-clad statue. 

They walked over to it quickly, and Dan had fun with giving Phil a bunch of poses to do with his doppelganger.

“I dunno, I think I'm a lot better looking in real life.” Phil said playfully as he looked through the photos Dan had taken. “Alright, now it's time for you to go up and pose with me.”

Dan handed his phone over again, then walked up to Phil's figure and stood beside it. “How should I stand?”

“Kiss me.” Phil answered.

“What, are you serious?” Dan said, taken aback. Those were definitely not words he had ever expected to hear from Phil. 

“Yeah, then you can send the photo to people as a prank or something if you want.” Phil said quickly.

“Okay, ready?” Dan asked, and when Phil nodded he took his sleeve and wiped a spot on the figure's cheek (who knew how many people had touched it before him?) before leaning forward and pressing his lips against the smooth, waxy surface.

“Come on Dan, a cheek kiss? Is that all?” Phil teased.

“Fine, if you insist.” Dan replied cheekily, moving to stand in front of the figure. He wiped its mouth, then wrapped his arms around the figure's neck, threading the fingers of one hand through wax-Phil's hair. He felt more than a little awkward with the situation, if he was being honest, but the look of amusement on Phil’s face encouraged him to just go with it.

Phil moved as well, standing to the side so he could get the right angle. 

“Ready?” Dan asked.

“Yup.” Phil replied, raising Dan's phone to take the photo.

Dan let out a short sigh, feeling slightly uncomfortable with kissing Phil's figure in front of the real Phil. He leaned forward and closed his eyes, locking his lips with the figure's and tightening his grip on its hair. He pulled away after a few seconds and turned to Phil, expecting him to still be holding the phone up.

Instead, what he saw was Phil standing with his mouth slightly open, and when Phil saw Dan turn towards him he turned red and looked away. 

“Did you get a picture?” Dan asked, walking over to him. He found Phil's behaviour rather strange.

Phil cleared his throat before saying, “Yeah, I got a few. It looks really good.”

He handed back Dan's phone, and Dan had to admit that when he looked at the photos it looked like one hell of a steamy kiss.

Phil cleared his throat again, and Dan looked at him quizzically, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go to the Music section, yeah?” Phil answered, walking down a corridor to their left.

Dan frowned, but followed him. They spent the next few hours taking photos with all the figures that they recognized, and each of them ended up with at least a hundred new photos in their camera roll. 

At 5:30 a voice spoke from the sound system, “The museum will now be closing. We ask that everyone please vacate the building. Thank you for visiting Madam Tussauds, we hope you have a great evening.”

“I guess it's time we leave.” Phil said reluctantly once the announcement was over, and he and Dan made their way back to the entrance of the building. 

Once they were outside, Phil asked, “Do you want to get some dinner?”

“Yeah, definitely. I didn't have anything planned.” Dan said with a smile.

“How do you feel about Italian?”

“I love it.”

“Italian it is, then.”

They caught a taxi as it drove past the museum, and Phil gave the driver an address which Dan recognized as being in his apartment's street. 

“So, where are we eating?” Dan asked.

“A little restaurant called Mama Mia's.” Phil answered.

“Really, that's what it's called?” Dan said with a chuckle.

“I know, it sounds kinda weird, doesn't it?” Phil agreed. 

It took about fifteen minutes to get to the restaurant, keeping each other entertained the whole way, and even the driver joined in with a few jokes. 

Phil paid the driver, then the two walked inside the little restaurant, which smelled delicious. They took seats by the window, and looked through the menus on the table. Dan was surprised to see that there was a whole section with vegan meals. 

When they had both made up their minds about what they wanted to get, Phil raised a hand to signal a waiter. 

“What can I get for you two?” He asked with a strong Italian accent.

“I'll have the signature lasagna, thanks.” Phil said.

“And I'll have the vegan spaghetti and meatballs.” Dan said politely. 

“Very well, and may I recommend to you a red wine?” The waiter said.

“Yes, thank you.” Phil answered.

The waiter nodded, “And would the two of you care for a candle? It would make your dinner much more romantic.”

“Oh, uh, no. We're not together.” Dan said, feeling his face heat up.

“Ah, I see. Forgive me.” The waiter said, then walked away to fulfil their orders. 

“Maybe he saw you at Madame Tussauds.” Phil said, trying and failing to keep a straight face.

“Not unless he flew here.” Dan said pointedly.

“He could have, you never know.” Phil said with mock seriousness, causing Dan to laugh and the other people in the restaurant to glare at him for disrupting their evenings.

The waiter reappeared a few minutes later with their food, which he set on the table in front of them, and a bottle of wine which he poured into their glasses. 

Dan ate about three quarters of his meal before he was full, pushing away his plate. He took a napkin and wiped at his mouth to remove any sauce that may have been there. A few moments later Phil finished eating as well.

“Phil,” Dan said, indicating his mouth.

Phil picked up a napkin and hurriedly wiped away the lasagna sauce.

“What is it with you and getting stuff on your mouth?” Dan asked.

Phil choked on the sip of wine he had taken, laughing loudly.

“You're worse than Chris and PJ!” Dan said accusingly, laughing along with him.

“Do you want to stay for dessert?” Phil asked once he had calmed down.

“I'm way too full to eat anything else, but if you wanted to have dessert I'll stay until you're finished.” Dan replied.

“Nah, I'm full too. I'll go and pay, wait for me outside.”

“Phil, I can pay for myself,” Dan protested, but Phil shook his head.

“I'm paying. Next time we have dinner you can pay.” 

Dan noticed that Phil said 'next time'. There would be a next time. Another day, spent just like this. The thought made him smile.

“Alright, I'll see you in a bit.” Dan said, then got up and walked outside.

It was rather chilly out, and the sun had just gone down. Dan wrapped his arms around himself to stay warm, and thankfully Phil walked through the front door after only a couple of minutes.

“So, I guess I'll see you on Monday?” Dan said, wanting to get out of the cold night air and into his warm apartment. 

“Actually, I was thinking of walking you home.” Phil said.

“You really don't have to-” Dan began, but Phil had already started walking. He jogged to catch up to the older boy.

“Are you doing anything tomorrow?” Phil asked once he had caught up.

“Nope, why?” Dan answered.

“Would you want to hang out again? I mean, I get if you don't want to. After all, you just spent practically the whole day with me.” Phil said.

“That'd be great, I'd love to.” Dan replied sincerely. Phil nodded and smiled happily. 

They walked along the empty street, enjoying the silence. Every now and then Dan would sneak a look at Phil, his features highlighted by the street lamps and his eyes shining brightly. He really couldn't deny that Phil was extremely attractive, at least not without lying. At one point, Phil caught Dan looking at him, but he just smiled and kept walking.

Within ten minutes they reached the front door of Dan's building, a light illuminating the three small steps leading up to it. Dan stopped at the top of the stairs, turning around to face Phil, but had to take a small step back when he realized that Phil was on the step just below him, barely a foot away.

“I had a really good time today, Dan.” Phil said.

“Yeah, so did I.” Replied Dan.

They stood silently for a few moments, until Phil said in a barely audible voice, “Your eyes are...beautiful.” 

“What?” Dan said, feeling his heart pick up pace at Phil's words.

Phil's cheeks tinged slightly red, and he took a step down, “I should-I should go...”

“Okay, uh, bye Phil. See you tomorrow.” Dan said, feeling utterly confused.

“See ya.” Phil said, turning and walking back down to the street.

Dan took his keys out of his pocket and opened the door, walking inside and locking it behind him again. He walked up the stairs to his apartment and unlocked the door before he walked inside. He placed his keys back on the little table by the door, then locked the door behind him. 

He walked into the bathroom and climbed into the shower. As the water cascaded down around him, he thought about what Phil had said. As far as Dan knew, friends usually didn't tell each other that they have 'beautiful eyes', not unless they were very close. But there was no way that Phil could actually like him. As far as Dan knew, he was straight. But then he remembered Phil's reaction to the female waitress at the café earlier that morning, and his seeming indifference to being assumed gay by the waiter at Mama Mia's, and thought that maybe he wasn't as straight as he seemed at first glance. Dan sighed as he thought about Phil's smile, his laugh, and, most of all, his eyes. He had told himself that he wouldn't let himself fall for the older boy, but he was too far gone to turn back now.


	6. Soup for the Sick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I updated a little later than usual, I was super busy making a Phan edit for YouTube, which I'll put a link to when it's done! Another uber extremely cute chapter (possibly THE most fluffy)! Enjoy lovelies:)  
> PS Thanks for all the comments, they make me smile every time I receive one! I love you guys!

The next morning when Dan woke up he felt terrible. His throat felt like it was on fire, and his stomach felt uneasy. When he tried to sit up, he had to quickly grab the trash can beside his bed so that he wouldn't ruin his carpet when he emptied the contents of his stomach. He sat still for a few minutes with his eyes closed, willing the nausea to disappear. When he thought he could manage standing up, he walked into the bathroom. He replaced the bag in the trash can, putting it back beside his bed, then peeled off all his clothes and stepped into the shower. The steam and warm water made him feel slightly better, though not by much. 

When he stepped out, he began shivering uncontrollably. He grabbed his towel and wrapped it around himself as he walked into the kitchen, taking a bottle of cold and flu pills and a glass of water before returning to his bedroom. He dropped the towel on the floor and crawled under the covers of his bed, not bothering to put on any clothes. He opened the pill bottle and took one of the capsules, swallowing it down with a mouthful of water, which burned his throat an unbelievable amount. 

He set the bottle and glass down on his bedside table, and then picked up his phone. When he turned it on, he saw that he had a message from Phil. Thankfully, it had only been sent half an hour previously.

Phil: We still on for today?

Dan: Can't sorry, I'm sick

Phil: Want me to come over?

Dan: No, it's okay, I don't want you to get sick

Dan put his phone down, thinking that Phil would probably leave it at that. Apparently he was wrong, because a few seconds later his phone dinged with a new message. He picked it up and smiled when he saw the text.

Phil: Have you eaten anything today?

Dan: No

Dan waited for Phil to reply, but no new message arrived, even though Phil had seen the text. He put his phone back on his bedside table, then laid back down and closed his eyes. 

He must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew he was startled awake by the sound of his doorbell ringing. He groaned, but stopped almost immediately because of the pain it caused him. He got out of bed and pulled on a pair of grey sweatpants and a black hoodie before walking to his front door. He grabbed his keys and walked downstairs, wondering who was at the door. He thought that maybe it was a package he had ordered online, but he couldn't remember what he had ordered. He unlocked the door and turned the door handle, pushing it open. 

Standing there was Phil, holding a grocery bag in his hand. 

“Phil?” Dan said, surprise in his voice.

“Good, glad to know you're not hallucinating.” Phil said with a smile. 

“What are you doing here?” Dan questioned. 

Phil held up the grocery bag, “I'm gonna help you feel better!”

“But you'll get sick, and you have to broadcast tomorrow...” Dan protested. 

“It's not as if I haven't broadcasted while I'm sick before,” Phil countered. “Now are you going to let me in, or do I have to use my amazing karate skills?” Phil struck a ridiculous pose that would definitely get him killed if he was in a position where he actually needed to use karate.

Dan smiled with amusement and stepping back from the entrance and raising his arm, motioning for Phil to step inside. Dan closed the door behind him, then lead the way upstairs. 

“Nice place you've got.” Phil commented as he walked through the door. 

Dan reached behind him and locked the door, placing the keys back on the table. 

“Thanks.” He replied, before walking over to the couch, where he sat down and closed his eyes, leaning his head back on the headrest. 

He felt the cushions move as Phil sat down beside him. 

“You really feel that bad?” Phil asked.

Dan nodded, opening his eyes to look at Phil, “So, what did you bring to make my illness miraculously disappear?”

Phil grinned, and drew a DVD case out of the grocery bag, “I present to you; Cloud Atlas! I read the book and it was really, really good, but I haven't seen the movie yet, so I thought we could watch it together.”

“I've heard of it, it sounds interesting.” Dan said, then winced at the pain in his throat.

“Don't talk too much, otherwise your throat will hurt for longer.” Phil warned, to which Dan rolled his eyes. “Before we watch, though, I have something I want to do, but I need your approval.”

Dan turned his body to face Phil to show that he was listening, and Phil continued, “You know that photo I took of you kissing my wax figure yesterday?”

Dan nodded, and Phil went on, “I want to send it to Chris and PJ to see what their reactions are.”

Dan thought for a few seconds, then nodded. He didn't see how it could hurt, though it was a rather strange thing to ask for. He got up and made his way into his room, grabbed his phone, and sat back down on the couch, accidentally sitting closer to Phil than he had before. Thankfully, Phil didn't seem to notice.

He went into his messages and sent Phil the photo, and Phil's phone made a meowing sound when it received the picture. Dan raised an eyebrow at the noise, but Phil just shook his head and told him to shush. 

“There we go, it's sent.” Phil announced after a few seconds on his phone. “Now we can watch the movie while we wait for them to reply. Where's your DVD player?”

Dan pointed to the TV stand, where the DVD player was on, along with his stereo. Phil slid off the couch and crawled forward, turning the DVD player on and inserting the Cloud Atlas disc. 

“You get that ready while I go make your food.” Phil said, picking up the grocery bag before he stood up and walked to Dan's kitchen. 

As Dan fast-forwarded through all the previews and start credits of the movie, he heard as Phil opened cupboards and drawers in search of the things he needed. He then heard the sound of something being thrown in the trash, followed by the sound of the microwave. A few minutes later Phil came walking back into the living room, carefully balancing a bowl of hot tomato soup, which he set down on the coffee table in front of Dan, along with a spoon. 

“Just wait a bit before you eat that, it's hot.” Phil said, disappearing back into the kitchen, before coming back after a couple seconds with a glass of water which he set down beside the soup. He sat back down on the couch beside Dan, curling his legs up between them.

“Okay, let's watch this movie!” Phil said, and Dan pressed play.

About ten minutes into the movie, Phil noticed that Dan hadn't eaten any of his soup yet, so he reached over and took the remote, pausing the movie.

Dan looked over at him quizzically, and Phil said, “You need to eat, Dan.”

“If I eat I'm going to be sick.” Dan argued.

“Just eat a little, and if you are sick then you can just take more medicine and try to eat again.” Phil reasoned.

Dan shook his head. He really hated throwing up.

Phil picked up the bowl of soup and the spoon. He filled the spoon, then moved it towards Dan. “I'll even feed you. Today I'll be your personal assistant instead of the other way around.” 

Dan sighed and took the soup and spoon from Phil. He stared angrily down at the reddish-orange fluid inside the bowl, then took a spoonful and ate it. 

“There we go, don't you feel better already?” Phil said, hitting the play button on the remote so they could continue watching. 

Dan finished the bowl of soup, even though it took a good hour and a half. As soon as he had finished eating, Phil began coaxing him to drink the glass of water. Dan took small sips every now and then, just to keep him from pausing the movie every five minutes.

The end of the movie arrived after three hours, and Dan was doing everything in his power to keep himself from crying. He noticed that Phil wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, obviously finding the end of the movie just as sad as he was. 

“What do you want to do now?” Phil asked once he had regained his composure. 

“Let's watch something else, I don't wanna get up.” Dan answered in a voice barely above a whisper.

“Do you have Netflix on your TV?” Phil asked, to which Dan gave him an are-you-shitting-me look. “Okay, okay. Turn it on, then.”

Dan switched channels onto the one he used for Netflix, then went into the search bar.

“Wait, go back to your recently viewed.” Phil ordered, and Dan did as he asked. “Let's continue watching Black Butler from where you left off.”

“Are you sure?” Dan asked, surprised. Somehow he hadn't imagined Phil to be the anime type of guy. 

“Yeah, I love the series so much! I've watched it at least three times already.” 

Dan shrugged, “As long as you don't tell me any spoilers.”

“I promise I won't.”

They watched the animated figures moving across the screen in companionable silence, broken every now and then by Phil making a comment about something that happened. Dan felt his eyelids growing heavier as the time went by, and before he knew it he was drifting off into the warm embrace of sleep. 

When he woke up, he was much too comfortable to open his eyes. He could hear someone talking, but he didn't feel like paying enough attention to understand what they were saying. The longer he was awake, the more he became aware of his surroundings. He realized that he was laying against someone's chest, with their legs crossed under him, probably leaning against one of the couch's armrests, and that they were talking on the phone. He felt one of their arms draped across his stomach, absently drawing patterns against his side. He recognized the voice as belonging to Phil, and almost sat up in surprise, but then he made out some of the words he was saying and decided that he would pretend to be asleep for a little while longer.

“Yeah, I know...I will tell him, just not yet.” Phil said, then there was a slight pause before, “It's not even that important, Peej! It's not as if anything is gonna happen because of it.” Another pause, longer this time, and Phil continued with a sarcastic tone, “Yeah, yeah, and you're such an expert.” A short pause, followed by, “Alright, fine. But don't you dare say anything. Bye, PJ.”

Phil sighed as he hung up the phone, and Dan decided that he should “wake up”. He took a deep breath, then opened his eyes slowly and stretched his arms out in front of him. When Phil saw he was waking up, he quickly removed his arm from around Dan's body.

“Sleep well?” Phil asked once Dan had sat up.

Dan nodded, “You should have woken me up.”

“No, you needed to get sleep. You feel better now, don't you?”

“Yeah, but you were up the whole time.”

“I'll be f-f-fine.” Phil said, attempting to stifle a yawn and failing. 

“I can see that.” Dan said sarcastically. “What time is it, anyway?”

“Just after eleven.” Phil answered, standing up from the couch and stretching his arms above his head. “I've gotta get home.”

“No!” Dan said quickly. “I mean, it'll take you at least another half hour to get there, and it's already late. You can stay here for the night. The couch pulls out into a bed, and I have spare sheets and blankets and all that.”

Phil looked at him, but Dan couldn't place his expression. “I mean, you don't have to, but the offer's there.”

Dan held his breath as he watched Phil, who finally said, “Yeah, okay, I'll stay. Thanks.”

“No problem.” Dan said, letting out the breath he had been holding. He had thought for a moment that Phil was going to turn him down and think he was some sort of weirdo, but thankfully that hadn't happened. 

He got up off the couch and went into his room, opening his closet and pulling out bedsheets, a pillow, and two blankets. He carried the bundle back into the living room, where Phil had already folded the couch into a bed. Together they pulled the corners of the sheets tight across the mattress and laid the blankets across the bed. Phil threw the pillow onto the bed and took a step back, admiring their finished masterpiece.

“Did you want to take a shower before you go to bed?” Dan asked, and Phil answered that he would. He followed Dan into the bathroom, where Dan handed Phil a towel and toothbrush. Dan quickly went back out to his closet and got a pair of pyjama pants, boxers, and a t-shirt, which he also handed to Phil.

“If you need anything else, just ask.” Dan said, closing the bathroom door as he walked out. 

He walked over to the towel he had dropped earlier in the day and picked it up, throwing it in the laundry basket in the corner of the room. He also threw in his sweatpants and hoodie, changing into a pair of boxers before climbing into bed and pulling the duvet up against his chest. He took his phone from the nightstand and turned it on, scrolling through the photos he had taken the day before. He stopped when he reached the photo of himself kissing Phil's wax figure, and found himself wishing that he could know what it would feel like to kiss the real Phil. He imagined it would be soft, and gentle, and loving. His thoughts veered onto a different course, however, when he remembered that Phil was currently naked in the shower, just a few steps away. 

Dan shook his head, trying to rid his mind of the thoughts. He couldn't think like that now, not while Phil was in the apartment. It would be very awkward indeed if Phil were to walk out of the shower and see Dan looking at pictures of him while he...well...it would be hella embarrassing, in Dan's opinion. Dan steered his thoughts back on track, remembering the way Phil had held him while he slept, and the conversation he had overheard between him and PJ. There was definitely something going on, that much was certain. He was pretty sure he knew what it was about, too, but he wouldn't pressure Phil to tell him until he was ready, whatever it was. 

Phil walked out of the bathroom, his damp hair sticking to his face. “Goodnight, Dan. See you in the morning.”

“'Night, Phil.” Dan replied, wishing that he could curl up with Phil instead of sleeping alone. “Wait, hang on a second!”

Phil poked his head back around the corner of the entrance to Dan's room, “Yeah?”

“What did Chris and PJ say about the photo?”

“Oh...uh...not much. You'll see tomorrow.” Phil said, his cheeks colouring slightly before he disappeared back around the corner.


	7. Pancakes and Lunch Breaks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously love all of you readers, thank you for hanging around while I write this! Your comments are literally one of the best parts of my day! This chapter is a little different than the ones before, as we're starting to get into the body of the story! Enjoy, lovelies:)

Dan was startled as his alarm went off, piercing through the quiet Monday morning. He reached over to his bedside table and grabbed his phone, turning the alarm off. He lay under his duvet for a while longer, until the unmistakeable smell of pancakes reached him. He pried his eyes open and slid out of bed, making his way into the kitchen.

Phil was standing in front of the stove, still dressed in the pyjamas he had borrowed from Dan, attempting to flip a pancake. Beside the stove was a plate already stacked high with them. Dan had the sudden urge to walk up behind the older boy and wrap his arms around his waist, but that was completely out of the question.

“Morning, Phil.” Dan said, his voice still husky from sleep. 

Phil jumped slightly, not having heard Dan approach him. “You almost gave me a heart attack!” Phil accused, turning around to face him. Dan thought for a moment that he saw Phil's eyes flick down to his bare chest, but it was so quick that he must have imagined it. “I thought I'd make some pancakes this morning, and don't worry, they're vegan.”

“Thanks. You don't feel sick today, do you?”

“Dan, stop worrying about me, I'm not going to get sick. I have an immune system of steel!” 

Dan rolled his eyes, getting himself and Phil plates as Phil turned the stove off. They both took a few pancakes, pouring syrup over them before sitting down at the dining table. 

“How long does it take to walk to the LNL building from here?” Phil asked, cutting into one of his pancakes.

“Not that long, maybe ten minutes.” Dan answered after swallowing a bite of pancake. 

“We still have a little while, then. Oh, and I haven't told Chris that the photo's a fake yet. I want to know what he says to you. I had to tell PJ when he called me, though.”

Dan wondered why Phil would want to know what Chris said to him, but shrugged it off. He probably just wanted to see how much he believed him. They finished their breakfast, putting the plates away in the dishwasher. Dan went into his room to change, while Phil went into the bathroom and changed back into his clothes from the previous day. Dan told him that he could borrow some clothing, but Phil reminded him that he only had to wear them until they got to the LNL building, since he'd be changing into a suit there. 

Dan locked up behind them as they left the apartment, slipping the keys and his phone into the pocket of the black skinny jeans he was wearing. 

Phil hummed a song as they walked, making Dan smile. He couldn't help but think that it was rather adorable.

“What're you smiling at?” Phil asked, catching Dan looking at him.

“Nothing,” Dan said quickly, looking away, “It's just a nice day out.”

Phil looked up at the sky, which was clear with no clouds in sight, and smiled. “I suppose it is. It sucks that we have to be inside for a few hours. By the time we get back outside it'll probably be raining.”

“I dunno, it looks like it will stay pretty sunny today.”

“Hey, who's the weatherman here?” Phil asked with a playful grin.

“You don't actually predict the weather though, you just read it out.” Dan pointed out.

Phil feigned a look of hurt, clutching at his chest dramatically. “Wow, tell me how you really feel, why don't you?”

Dan chuckled, but his heart skipped a beat. He knew Phil had meant it sarcastically, but Dan couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he really did tell him how he felt. He still wasn't quite sure if Phil was straight or not, so it would be a very risky move. Better to leave it until he knew for certain whether there was any chance that Phil would return his feelings. 

They walked through the front doors of the LNL building, and Kelly the receptionist gave them a smile as they walked past her into the elevator.

Dan reached out to hit the button that would take them up to the third floor. At that exact moment, Phil did the same thing, and their hands brushed lightly against each other's. Dan quickly pulled his hand away.

“Sorry,” He said, then internally cringed. What the hell was he sorry for? Accidentally touching Phil's hand? 

“For what?” Phil asked with a laugh. He pressed the button and the elevator jolted to a start.

Dan shook his head, “Nevermind.”

“When we stop I'm just gonna run to makeup quickly and get that done. I'll meet you back in my room once you have the mic,” Phil said. “And remember that Chris is probably gonna bombard you with questions.”

“Do you want me to go along with what you said, or tell him that it was just a joke?” 

“Well, Peej already knows, but I told him not to tell Chris anything. Hopefully he kept his promise. So just wait until he's told you whatever he has to say, then you can tell him the truth.”

“Alright. What did PJ say?”

“Uh,” Phil began, looking away from Dan shiftily.

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. 

“Oh, we're here! I'll see you in a few minutes.” Phil said, rushing out of the elevator and heading left down the hallway, towards where Dan supposed the makeup room was. 

Dan shook his head. There was definitely something that Phil wasn't telling him. 

He walked forward and then turned right down the hallway, heading towards the store room to fetch Phil's mic. As he walked, he spotted PJ walking in the opposite direction, carrying a laptop under his arm. When PJ saw him, he quickly walked over to Dan.

“Hey Dan, how was your weekend?” He said slyly.

“It was great actually, I really enjoyed it.” Dan answered truthfully. 

“I bet you had a complete fangirl moment, right? Spending so much time with the man of your fantasies...” PJ said teasingly.

“Oh piss off, you know I'm not that bad!” Dan defended himself, smiling to show PJ that he hadn't taken his words seriously. 

“Oh, I dunno...” PJ insisted. “I still haven't told Chris that the photo's a fake, just so you know. I gotta go set up our station, I'll see you in a few.” 

PJ continued walking the way he had been going before stopping to talk to Dan, and Dan continued in the direction of the store room. 

As soon as Dan walked through the open storeroom door, he saw Chris. He was sitting on a chair that faced the door, and he was wearing a smug smirk. 

“Well well, look who it is! Heart-eyes Howell, in the flesh!” Chris exclaimed loudly when he saw Dan.

Dan laughed, “Clever, very clever.”

“Thank you!” Chris said, getting up and giving a bow. 

Dan moved to the shelf at the other end of the room, reaching up and grabbing Phil's mic. As he turned around, he took a quick step back. Chris had managed to move up behind him silently, and was now leaning casually against the shelf. 

“So, how was it?” Chris asked.

“How was what?” Dan replied.

Chris rolled his eyes. “The kiss, dummy, the kiss!”

“It was fantastic.” Dan said, doing his best to keep a straight face.

“You think he's attractive?” Chris questioned. 

“Of course I do.” 

“To each his own, I guess. I mean, he's fine, but I like my men how I like my tea; Italian-British and brown-haired.”

“I don't know, I personally don't like the thought of hairy tea.” Dan said with a laugh.

“Shut up,” Chris said. “But anyways, I think you two are cute together. Congratulations!”

Dan couldn't help but feel a rush of happiness at those words, but he figured he should tell Chris the truth. “Thanks, but it isn't real.”

Chris frowned. “What do you mean? Phil sent me a picture-”

“We went to Madame Tussauds, and I posed with his wax figure.” Dan explained with a grin.

“You're kidding me.” Chris said exasperatedly.

“Nope.” Dan said.

“I'm going to murder him, I swear. Did PJ know?”

“Yeah, Phil told him it was just a fake.” 

Chris shook his head with a sigh. “I really thought it was legit. Ah well, now I'll have to find a way to get my revenge. You'd better get going, that arsehole weather reporter is on camera in twenty minutes.”

“Thanks, Chris.” Dan said as he walked away, and Chris waved him off before rearranging some of the boxes on the shelves.

Dan walked back down the hallway, stopping in front of Phil's room. He knocked loudly on the door, hoping he'd be heard over the loud raucous in the hallway.

“Come in!” Phil shouted out to him.

Dan pushed the door open, closing it again once he was in the room.

“I've got your-” Dan said as he turned around, stopping mid-sentence when he saw Phil standing in the centre of the room, wearing only his trousers. Dan swallowed nervously as he felt himself blush, “mic.”

Phil walked over to his closet and removed a white dress shirt, a suit jacket, and two bow ties. 

“Thanks, just let me put on the rest of my clothes and then you can help me to get it clipped on.” 

Dan nodded, attempting to keep his eyes from sweeping across Phil's bare torso, but it was no use, and eventually Dan gave in. Thankfully, Phil was too busy fiddling with his shirt to notice Dan's staring. Phil buttoned up his shirt, and Dan tore his eyes away reluctantly. 

Phil put on the suit jacket, then walked over to Dan, holding out the two bow ties. 

“Which one should I wear today?” He asked. Dan examined the two of them. One was dark red with pink stripes going down it diagonally. The other was blue with small white polka dots. 

“The blue one.” Dan said decisively. It would bring out the colour in his eyes. 

Phil threw the red one back into the closet, then turned to face Dan. “Help me put it on?”

Dan smiled, “Yeah, sure. Come here.”

He took the bow tie from Phil and proceeded to tie it around his neck, under the collar of his shirt. When he had finished tying it, Dan smoothed the fabric out and folded the shirt collar over the sides of the bow tie. He then clipped the little microphone onto the collar of Phil's shirt.

“There you go.” Dan said, then made the mistake of looking away from the bow tie and into Phil's eyes. 

He took a sharp breath in as he noticed how closely they were standing together. He had forgotten how close he had to stand to tie Phil's bow tie, and the close proximity was making him even more nervous than usual. The fact that Phil didn't look away from him made his heart start beating faster than usual. And when Phil glanced away from Dan's eyes and down towards his lips, Dan thought he must have imagined it. 

Dan took a deep breath and stepped back, breaking eye contact. If he had stood there for a second longer he would have undoubtedly done something regrettable. 

Dan took his phone out of his pocket, checking the time. 

“We should probably get out there, we've only got about five minutes until you're live.” 

“Let's go, then.” Phil agreed, and Dan was surprised to see that he was blushing slightly, and looked a little flustered.

They walked out of the room together, Dan closing the door behind them. They were walking for a couple seconds when Dan remembered Chris's words from before.

“You might want to watch your back, Chris is out for revenge.” Dan warned.

“I don't need to watch my back, I've got you for that.” Phil said with a grin. “What did he say about the photo?”

“I'll tell you when you're done doing your fancy weatherman stuff.” Dan said as he spotted Chris and PJ sitting in the same spot as last time. 

“Okay. Could you get me a coffee again for when I'm finished with my broadcast?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Do you remember what I get?”

“Normal coffee, with milk and two sugars.” Dan recalled.

Phil smiled at him, “You remember! I suppose it is pretty simple, though. I guess I'll see you in a few hours, I've gotta get prepared.” 

“Alright, see ya in a bit.” Dan replied, walking over to Chris and PJ as Phil walked quickly up onto the low stage platform with the green screen. 

“How long have we got?” Dan asked as he sat down beside Chris, who handed him a pair of headphones.

“Wait for it...wait for it...” PJ said, keeping an eye on his watch. After a few seconds, he raised his hand and began lowering each finger, counting down as he did so. “And...we're live!” He yelled out as he lowered the last finger, turning the camera on. 

Dan placed the headphones Chris had given him snugly over his ears, listening to Phil's voice and making sure that there were no sounds in the audio that weren't supposed to be there. After a while he lost himself in Phil's words. He didn't understand how just listening to him talk about weather of all things could make him so damn desirable, but it did, at least in his mind.

The sound was clear, and everything went perfectly yet again. Towards the end of the broadcast, Dan got up from his seat, signalling to Chris that he was getting Phil's coffee. He walked over to the elevator and pressed the button to take him down to the second floor. 

When the doors dinged open, he made his way over to the coffee shop, where he waited in line behind a middle-aged man. Once the man had gotten his coffee, Dan took a step forward.

“Hey! Dan, right?” Sarah, the person who had helped him with the coffee previously, said with a smile.

“Hey, Sarah. One coffee with milk and two sugars, please.” Dan replied, returning her smile.

Sarah nodded and turned around to make the coffee. 

“I met your dad the other night.” Dan said as he waited patiently. 

“Really? He told me he'd met someone from the LNL, but he didn't say who.” Sarah said. She turned back around and handed Dan the coffee. “Here you go.”

“Cheers,” Dan thanked her, and made to turn back to the elevator, but he was stopped by Sarah calling out.

“Hey, Dan, are you doing anything after Phil broadcasts?”

“No, why?”

“I was wondering if you'd like to go for some tea during my lunch break?”

“Sure, why not. I don't have any other plans.”

“Great,” Sarah said, “Could I have your number so I can text you the details?”

Dan nodded and took the phone she offered him, punching in his number before handing it back to her. 

“Thanks. I'll see you later then.” Sarah said.

Dan made his way back over to the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor. When the elevator had stopped moving and the doors slid open, Dan walked back over to where Chris and PJ were sitting. As he approached them he saw PJ holding his hand up and lowering each finger. When his hand formed a fist, Phil stopped smiling at the camera and made his way down from the stage platform. 

“Thanks, Dan.” Phil said as he took the coffee from him. He took a few sips of the hot liquid, seeming deep in thought.

Chris and PJ began switching off all the different cameras and monitors at their station, and Dan collected the smaller electronics, which he handed to Chris to put back in the storeroom. When Dan went to unclip Phil's mic, the older boy jumped slightly, causing him to almost spill his coffee.

Dan raised an eyebrow in amusement, and Phil gave a short laugh.

“Sorry, I kinda zoned out there!” Phil apologized.

“What were you thinking about?” Dan asked curiously as he reached forward again, this time managing to unclip the mic without Phil jumping a foot in the air. 

“You know, things...” Phil answered vaguely. 

“What sort of things?”

“Important things.” 

“Okay, okay, fine. I won't ask.” Dan said, throwing his hands up in surrender. 

He walked over to Chris, handing him the microphone.

Once Chris and PJ had gotten all the electronics together, they carried them away to the storeroom. 

“Come on, we'll go back to my dressing room and you can tell me what Chris said to you.” Phil said, motioning for Dan to follow him as he began walking.

Phil pushed open the door to his room, holding it open until Dan had entered. 

“I'm just gonna get changed quickly, hang on.” Phil said, walking over to the closet. He removed his suit jacket and bow tie, hanging them up neatly, then started unbuttoning his shirt. 

Dan forced himself to look away from Phil's exposed skin and glanced around the room, noticing the posters taped against the walls. Amongst them, he recognized Muse's Origin of Symmetry. He remembered hearing Phil mention them before in an interview or something, but no way in hell was he going to let Phil know that. Better pretend he didn’t know.

“You listen to Muse?” Dan asked.

“Yeah, they're great! Why? Do you listen to them, too?” Phil replied. Good, he didn't seem to suspect anything.

“Yeah, actually, they're one of my favourite bands.” 

Dan heard the sound of the closet door being shut, and looked over to see Phil dressed in black skinny jeans and a bright yellow t-shirt. 

He walked over to the couch and sat down beside Dan, tucking his feet under him and turning sideways to face Dan.

“So, what'd he say?” Phil asked, excitement in his voice.

“Well, first he just asked me a bunch of questions about you and our supposed kiss.” 

Phil nodded, “I expected that.”

“Then he said that we look cute together.” Dan said.

“Did he sound serious when he said it?”

Dan thought back, trying to recall the moment. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Hmm,” Phil said thoughtfully.

“What did PJ say?” Dan asked.

“Uh...pretty much the same thing, really.” Phil answered, but Dan could tell he was leaving something out. 

Before he could question him any further, however, Dan's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out quickly and read the message, which was from Sarah. 

Sarah: I'm on my break now, you still wanna come along?

Dan: Yeah, I'll meet you downstairs in five minutes.

He put his phone back in his pocket and stood up from the couch, stretching his arms up above his head. 

“Who was that?” Phil asked, referring to the text message.

“Sarah, the girl who works at the coffee place downstairs. I'm gonna go with her to get some tea during her lunch break. How long are you still gonna be here? I can come back afterwards if you want.”

“I'll be here for another hour and a half or so. But you really don't need to come back, you've done everything you need to.” Phil replied.

Dan smirked, “And what if I do come back?”

“I'd like that.” Phil said sincerely.

“Then I'll come back.” Dan said.

Phil smiled happily at him, causing Dan's stomach to fill with butterflies. He was the reason Phil was smiling like that. 

“See ya, Phil.” Dan said, turning towards the door.

“Bye, Dan.” 

Dan couldn't help the smile that made it's way onto his face as he left the room.


	8. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm so sorry I took this long to update, but here are my excuses in order:  
> *I was sick for a week, as in I-cant-move-or-i'll-die sick  
> *My computer crashed and I lost the story  
> *My computer then died and I had to wait for a new one to arrive  
> But yeah, I'm super sorry! I'm going to try and update three times this week to make up for lost time, because I have something planned that I'm pretty sure you guys are gonna enjoy...but anyway, enjoy the chapter my lovelies:)  
> PS I know this chapter is short, but its just a filler!

It was only as Dan rode the elevator down to the ground floor that he considered that Sarah may have thought that they were going on a date. If that were the case, he'd have to tell her that he wasn't interested. Hopefully, though, she knew that it was just a casual lunch out, because knowing him he'd make the conversation super uncomfortable if he tried to turn her down. 

The elevator dinged, and he stepped out. Sarah was standing at the other end of the room, and when she saw Dan walking towards her, she smiled. Dan gave her a small smile in return as they left the building together. 

“So, where exactly are we going?” Dan asked.

“Oh, it's a little cafe just a couple minutes walk from here. You'll see.” Sarah answered. 

They walked in silence the rest of the way, and surprisingly it wasn't as awkward as Dan had expected. Sarah finally turned left, taking a seat at a small table for two which was covered with a blue and white striped tablecloth. A sign above the small outdoor cafe proclaimed the name of the place to be “Le Petite”. The Small. How fitting. 

Dan sat down opposite Sarah, and followed her example by picking up the menu that was on the table and quickly reading over the countless number of options. They sure had a lot of variety for a cafe named The Small. After a few moments, both Dan and Sarah were ready to order. Sarah raised her hand into the air, and barely five seconds had passed when a waitress with very pale skin and short, pixie-cut, aqua-coloured hair walked up to their table. 

“Hiya Sarah! I see you've got company today! Well, my name's Lise—well, it's actually Annalise but I hate that name it's so formal—and I'll be your waitress today. What can I getcha?” She said, smiling brightly at the two of them. 

Dan looked over at Sarah, waiting for her to order first. That was apparently not going to happen however, as Sarah was currently staring at Lise, her eyes wide and full of wonder. 

“I'll have a slice of the vegan angel cake, and a cup of earl grey, thanks.” Dan said. “How about you, Sarah?”

Sarah snapped out of her trance at the sound of her name. “Uh, yeah, um...I'll have a, uh, I'll have my usual, thank you.” 

Lise nodded as she wrote down their orders on a small notebook. “Alrighty, I'll be back in a few minutes.” 

Lise walked away from their table, and Dan couldn't help but notice the way that Sarah's eyes never once left her retreating figure until she went inside the cafe. 

“Hey, Sarah?” Dan started, his curiosity too much too contain. 

“Yeah?” She said distractedly.

“I don't mean to overstep my boundaries or anything, but are you...?” Dan said, motioning to the door through which Lise had just disappeared.

“Am I...?” Sarah repeated, then smiled when she saw where he was pointing. “Ah, do I swing for the other team? Yeah, you could definitely say that. And you're not overstepping any boundaries or anything, I like to be as open as possible, y'know?”

Dan didn't know, but he nodded anyway. He'd always tried to keep that part of his life private from everyone, fearing that they would react badly if they found out. 

“So, are you gonna ask for her number?” Dan said with a grin. 

“What!? No, are you insane!? I couldn't do that!” Sarah exclaimed, blushing darkly. 

“Why not?”

“Because...because she'd say no!”

“How do you know?” 

“I just do.” Sarah insisted.

“Okay, suit yourself...” Dan said, leaning back in his chair with a smile.

They spoke for a few minutes about nothing in particular, and Dan almost tipped his chair over when he leaned back too far. Lise walked out of the cafe, balancing two plates on one arm and a tray with two steaming cups on the other. 

“Here you go, enjoy! If you need anything else, I'll be right inside.” Lise said with a smile as she set down the food and drinks, then made her way back into the cafe.

Dan picked up a small fork and started eating the angel cake, which tasted just divine (no pun intended). Once he had finished the sweet treat, he set down his fork and picked up his cup of tea, blowing gently across the surface before taking a sip so that he wouldn't scald his tongue. 

“How about you ask her to dinner?” Dan suggested after a little while.

Sarah raised an eyebrow skeptically. “What makes you think I'm capable of doing that?”

“I dunno, but just hear me out. You can ask her to dinner, then at dinner you can try to figure out if she's interested or not. If she is, you score. If she's not...well...then you can play it off as a friendly dinner and then you've made another friend. Either way there's a positive outcome.”

“Mhm, that sounds so simple.” Sarah said sarcastically. “If it's so easy, why don't you just take your own advice and ask that fancy weatherman of yours out?”

“How did you—?” Dan began with surprise. 

“Well you make it pretty obvious. Whenever you're around him you can't take your eyes off of him.” Sarah said, smirking.

“That's not true.” Dan said, though he knew that it probably was. Did he really make it that obvious? And if he did, why hadn't Phil said anything to him about it? 

“Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your little secret.” Sarah said with a wink. “I have to get back to work soon, are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, sure. I'll pay.” Dan said, standing up from his seat.

“No, Dan, I--” Sarah said, but Dan cut her off.

“And in exchange, I want you to ask Lise out to dinner tonight.” 

Sarah sighed, “Fine. Whatever.”

Dan laughed at her slightly-nervous expression, then walked inside the cafe. He walked up behind the counter where Lise was standing. He handed her the amount of money she asked for, and then she punched a few buttons on her computer keyboard and printed out a receipt which she handed to Dan.

“Have a good day!” Lise said happily.

“Yeah, you too!” Dan said, turning around. Sarah was standing behind him, biting her lip with nervousness. “Go and ask her, I'll wait outside.” Dan whispered to her before walking out of the small building. 

He leaned against the brick wall, crossing his arms to keep himself warm. He hadn't realized it earlier, but the sky had become rather overcast, and it seemed as if it would be raining within the next twenty minutes or so. He smiled to himself as he remembered Phil's prediction of the weather earlier that morning. 

Just as he was debating going back inside the cafe to get rid of the chill that was slowly sapping away at any warmth left in his body, Sarah walked through the door. She looked around for Dan and broke into a grin when she found him.

“Dan, she said yes! She said yes!” Sarah said excitedly. 

“That's great! So, when's the big date?” Dan replied.

“This Friday! Gosh, that's only a few days away...” Sarah said, trailing off with an anxious look.  
“Sarah, you'll be fine. Now let's get back to the LNL building.” 

Sarah nodded in agreement, and they began the short walk back to their workplace.

After a few moments of silence, Sarah spoke up. “Dan, I really think you should ask Phil to dinner.”

“Why?” Dan replied.

“You obviously like him a lot, and as you said, if you find out he isn't interested then at least you'll know exactly where you stand and you can continue building your friendship.”

“I can't...It's too early. I mean, I barely know exactly what my feelings are towards him. I do like him. A hell of a lot. But I can't be in love with him, it's impossible.” Dan didn't know if he was trying to convince Sarah or himself, but in either case it was a pretty pathetic attempt. 

“Why is it impossible?” Sarah coaxed.

“I...uh...” Dan said, but he couldn't think of a reasonable answer.

“See, you don't have an answer, do you? It is possible, stop trying to deny what you really feel. I can see it in your eyes, Dan.”

Sarah's words brought up the image of Chris earlier in the morning when he had called Dan “Heart-eyes Howell”. The memory caused Dan to chuckle slightly. 

“What's so funny?” Sarah questioned.

“Nothing, it's just...do you know Chris Kendall?”

“Yeah, black tea with two sugars and cream.” Sarah said, then when Dan looked at her quizzically quickly added, “I remember people that work in the building by their order, it makes it easier for me to put a name to a face.”

“Ah, I see. Well, anyway, this morning he called me Heart-eyes Howell.” 

“Very accurate name, that one.”

They continued chatting as they walked, stopping only when they entered the LNL building. Just as they walked through the tall glass doors, rain began pouring down from the pitch-black clouds above.

“Wow, perfect timing, eh?” Sarah said with a grin.

Dan nodded, “I've gotta get upstairs, Phil's waiting for me.” 

“Of course he is.” Sarah said with a sly wink. “Well go on, then. I'll see you later, yeah?”

“Yeah, see ya Sarah.” Dan replied, before walking over to the elevator and pressing the button for the third floor.


	9. An Interesting Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this chapter is over 4k words...Things are starting to get interesting! There are gonna be some important plot points from now on, and I'm still working on the Christmas surprise that I have for you guys. Enjoy the chapter my lovelies:)

The elevator dinged open and Dan walked out, turning right and heading to Phil's dressing room. He knocked on the door, and it was almost instantly flung open by Phil.

“Dan! I didn't think you'd actually come back.” Phil said with a smile, stepping back to allow Dan into the room.

“Well, I told you I'd come back, and here I am.” Dan said, sitting down on a couch. “So, what is it that you're doing right now?”

“Just some paperwork, but it's really boring and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna die if I have to do any more of it tonight.” Phil answered, sitting down beside Dan.

“Well, don't die now or else I'll be the one having to do paperwork.” Dan joked.

They sat quietly for a few moments, enjoying each other's company, then Phil broke the silence.

“Hey, Dan?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you doing anything tonight?”

Dan looked away from the MCR poster he had been admiring, and looked instead at Phil.

“No, why?” Dan answered.

“I was thinking that—if you want—we could go out for dinner tonight?”

“Uh...” Dan was speechless. Had Phil just used Dan's very own technique for figuring out if a person is interested or not? Or was Phil just being friendly? 

“I mean, we don't have to—” Phil said, looking away awkwardly, mistaking Dan's silence for disinterest when actually it was the exact opposite. 

“No, no—I mean—yeah! Yeah, let's do it. Um, will it only be us, or…?” Dan quickly said. 

Phil immediately brightened up, “Yeah, if that's okay with you.”

“Sounds great. Where are we gonna go?” Dan asked.

“You'll see. I'll come to your place, and then we can take a cab to the restaurant together.”

“Phil, I can find my own cab. You don't need to come and get me every time we go somewhere.” Dan said with a smirk.

“I know, but I like doing it.”

“Why?”

“Because...because I—uh—” Phil stammered, blushing slightly. “I enjoy...uh...seeing your apartment.”

“Didn't know my apartment is that interesting.” Dan said, grinning as he saw the light red tinge on Phil's cheeks. 

“It is. Very.” Phil insisted. 

“Mhm. So, what time are we going out?”

“Around seven.” Phil said, glad for the change of subject. 

“Do you want to come over to my place for a bit after you've finished up here?” Dan asked, then added, “Or you know, now that I think about it, you could always just come to my house and we could stay there until we go for dinner.”

“Really? You wouldn't mind me hanging around for a few hours?” Phil said.

“Of course not, I love having you around. If it wasn't for you, I'd have pretty much no human contact outside of work.”

“Okay, if you're sure. We'll have to get a cab, though. If my report today was right it's probably pouring rain right now.”

They stayed at the LNL building for another two hours while Phil finished all his paperwork. It would've taken him less time, but Dan continually distracted him by starting conversations. Phil took one of his black suits out of his wardrobe for when they had dinner later that night, and put it inside a protective plastic cover. They then took the elevator downstairs and waved goodbye to Kelly before darting out into the downpour of rain outside. Thankfully, there was a cab parked just a few meters away. They dashed to the vehicle and quickly opened the back doors before jumping inside and pulling the doors closed behind them so that the interior of the car wouldn't get rained on. 

Both of them were soaked, even though they had only been in the rain for a few seconds. 

“Where to?” The driver asked, and Dan gave him his address. 

They had been driving for a few minutes when Dan realized Phil was staring at him, a small smile on his lips.

“What is it?” Dan asked him. 

“I didn't know your hair is curly.” Phil said, still smiling.

Dan craned his neck to see into the rear view mirror of the cab, and saw that the rain had in fact made his hair go back to its natural style. 

“Oh no, shit!” Dan said, trying to flatten his hair with his hands, but to no avail.

“Uh, Dan?” Phil questioned.

“Sorry, its just I hate my hair like this. It makes me look like a hobbit.”

“But I love your hair like this!” Phil said honestly, making Dan blush. “And anyway, what's wrong with looking like a hobbit? They're the cutest little things ever!”

“Hey, I'm not cute!” Dan protested.

“Yeah you are.”

“No, I'm not.”

“Yeah, you are.”

“No.”

“Would you prefer 'hot' or 'sexy' instead?” Phil said, only half joking around.

“Yes.” 

“Okay.”

“'Okay' what?”

“Okay, I'll now refer to you as hot or sexy.” Phil answered.

“Oh. Okay.” Dan turned to face the window, hiding his smile. He was pretty sure that Phil had just admitted that he found him attractive. 

After another five minutes or so, they arrived at Dan's apartment. Dan paid the cab driver, then he and Phil quickly bolted to the front door of the apartment building. Dan fumbled with the keys for a few seconds, then almost fell into the building in his haste to get out of the cold, wet weather. They made their way up the stairs, and Dan opened the door to his apartment, holding the door open until Phil had walked past him. Once he had locked the door, he walked over to Phil, who was now standing by the window in the living room, looking out at the rain. 

When Dan got closer, he saw that Phil was shivering slightly from his wet clothes.

“Do you want to have a shower? I can lend you some clothes afterwards.” Dan offered kindly.

“Yeah, thanks Dan.” Phil replied with a grateful smile.

Dan led him into his bedroom and handed him a towel, then walked over to his closet and removed a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, which he also handed to Phil. Phil then handed him his suit, still in its protective sheet of plastic. Dan wiped off some of the water droplets, then layed it down gently on his bed. 

“Call me when you're finished with the shower, and don't use all of the hot water or I'll kill you.” Dan threatened playfully.

“Sorry Dan, can't make any promises.” Phil answered back, winking before he closed the bathroom door, causing Dan's stomach to fill with butterflies. Why did Phil have to be so attractive? Why couldn't he at least have had a terrible personality? Why was he so perfect?

Dan walked into the kitchen and put the kettle on, knowing that Phil would probably want some tea to help him relax after a long work day. 

When the water had finished boiling, he took the kettle off the stove and set it down on a dry dishcloth on the kitchen counter. Just as he was debating whether or not to start unpacking the dishwasher, he heard the bathroom door open, and a few moments later Phil walked into the kitchen. 

“I boiled some water for tea if you want some. I'm just gonna go and have a shower, then we can watch a movie or something if you want to.” Dan said.

“Okay, I'll go look on Netflix for some movies, then.” Phil replied, smiling happily.

Dan walked into his bedroom, grabbing a towel, a clean shirt, and some sweatpants before heading into the bathroom. He locked the door behind him (though it wasn't as if Phil was going to walk in when he knew Dan was showering), then stripped off his clothes and turned the shower on, standing beneath the warm flow of water. He closed his eyes and relaxed for a few minutes, breathing in deeply. Honestly, he was a little anxious about tonight. He knew that there was nothing to be worried about; he'd had dinner with Phil before. Phil had even slept over, for God's sake. But there was something different tonight. Somehow it seemed more intimate. 

After about ten minutes, Dan decided that he should probably get out of the shower and back to Phil. He turned off the shower and quickly dried off before getting changed. He rubbed a towel through his hair, drying off any water that was left so that it wouldn't drip onto his clothes or the floor. For once he didn't care about his hobbit hair. When he was done, he opened the bathroom door and walked out of his room into the living room, where he found Phil sprawled across the couch. 

When Phil saw him approaching, he sat up and made room for Dan, who sat down beside him. 

“Did you find something to watch?” Dan asked.

“Yup.” Phil answered, turning the TV on. When the screen finally loaded, Dan grinned.

“'Dear John'? Really Phil, do you want me to cry?”

“Of course not, it's just a really good movie.” Phil said, pressing play. “We won't be able to watch all of it, though.”

They sat quietly as they watched the movie together, breaking the silence every now and then to make a comment on something that happened. 

About half an hour into the movie, Phil began stretching, and before he knew what he was doing, Dan said, “Do you want me to give you a massage?” 

“What?” Phil asked, surprised.

“You look like you could use a massage, and I happen to be the best massager in England.” Dan said, feeling himself blush slightly.

“I think the term you're looking for is 'masseur'.” Phil corrected with a laugh.

“Shut up. Do you want a massage or not?” 

“Yes, please.” 

“Kay, sit on the floor in front of me.” Dan ordered, and Phil slid off the couch and sat down on the floor, facing away from him, legs crossed. 

“Do you want me to take off my shirt?” Phil asked. 

The question caught Dan by surprise, and he swallowed nervously before answering. “Uh, yeah, sure. I'll go get some lotion.”

He got up from the couch and stepped around Phil, then walked into his room and rummaged around in his bedside table for a few seconds before pulling out a bottle of lotion. He walked back to the living room, and felt his heart pick up speed when he saw Phil sitting in front of the couch, his shirt laying discarded beside him. It wasn't as if Phil looked like the male models you see on covers of magazines, quite the opposite, actually. He had a slightly pudgy stomach, and he was pale as a ghost, but to Dan it somehow made him even more perfect than he already was. And anyway, Dan wasn't exactly in the best shape himself.

Dan sat on the couch behind Phil and popped the lid off of the lotion, squeezing some of the slippery substance onto his hand. He set the bottle aside and rubbed his hands together so that the lotion would be spread evenly across them. 

“This might be a bit cold.” Dan warned, then placed his hands on Phil's shoulders and began rubbing his muscles in slow circles. 

“You really are good at this.” Phil said breathily, and Dan swore that everyone in his apartment building would be able to hear the beating of his heart against his chest. 

Dan continued to knead Phil's shoulders, slowly moving up to the sides and back of his neck. He could feel the tension in Phil's muscles slowly slipping away as the minutes passed by, and Dan could see a smile tugging the corners of his mouth upward. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Dan to push aside the feelings he had for Phil. He knew that he needed to find out if he had a chance with him, or if all his feelings were for nothing. If he continued to see Phil as a potentially dateable person and then months from now found out that he wasn't interested, Dan knew that he would be completely heartbroken. He needed to find out now, so that if Phil didn't return his feelings he could try to stop his own from growing even more than they already had. Plus, what better time was there to ask than when Phil was completely relaxed and Dan knew for sure he was in a good mood? In Dan's opinion, there was none. 

He drew a shaky breath, then said, “Phil, I wanted to ask—”.

Dan was cut off by the loud notes of a Panic! At The Disco song, and honestly, he was a little relieved. He was pretty sure that he would have regretted asking Phil the moment the words left his mouth, so he was thankful for the interruption, even if it did make him feel a little bit cowardly. Phil reached over to the coffee table and grabbed his phone, turning the music off.

“I almost forgot,” he said with a chuckle, “I set an alarm for 6:30 so we'd have enough time to get ready for dinner.”

“Oh yeah, dinner...” Dan said, blushing. 

“Yeah. What were you gonna ask me?” Phil asked curiously.

“I don't remember. It must not have been that important.” Dan said quickly, not meeting Phil's eyes. 

“Okay, well, I'm gonna go and get changed in the bathroom.” Phil said, standing up.

Dan followed him as he walked into Dan's bedroom and took his suit out of the protective plastic sheet. 

“I'm only going to put on the trousers and shirt, the jacket is a little much.” Phil said.

“What should I wear?” Dan asked him.

Phil shrugged. “Maybe just a pair of black jeans and a white shirt or something?”

“Like this one?” Dan asked, pulling a white button up shirt out of his closet and showing it to Phil.

“Yeah, that's perfect.” Phil said with a smile, before walking into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. 

Dan quickly took off his clothes and put on a pair of black skinny jeans and the shirt he had shown Phil. He looked in the mirror to check his reflection and realized that his hair was still curly. He had forgotten to straighten it after having his shower. 

He took his straightener out of his closet and plugged it into the electricity outlet by his bed. He set it on his bedside table as it heated up, which took about a minute. When it finally beeped, Dan picked it up, and was just about to start straightening his hair when the bathroom door opened and Phil walked out.

“Dan, no, what are you doing!?” Phil asked.

“What? I'm just straightening my hair.” Dan replied, holding the straightener up so Phil could see.

“I know that, silly. I meant; why are you straightening your hair?”

“Uh...so that my hair is straight.” Dan said, raising an eyebrow. 

“You know, I meant what I said before. You really do look very sexy with curly hair.”

“Phil, I'm not keeping my hair like this when people are going to see me.” Dan said, though he blushed at Phil's compliment. It was now clear to Dan that Phil, at minimum, found him attractive.

“Please? Just for tonight?” Phil begged, pouting slightly.

Dan paused for a second, with every intention of saying no, but Phil just looked so damn cute. “Fine,” He said with a sigh, unplugging his straightener and putting it back in the closet. “But only for tonight, that's it.”

He walked back over to his mirror and stood in front of it, tugging hopelessly at his curly hair, trying to get his fringe in the right spot. Phil walked up beside him and put an arm around his shoulders.

“Dan, you look great. You always do. Now stop worrying about you hair and let's go get some food.” Phil said, smiling reassuringly. 

Dan nodded, and Phil made his way over to the front door. Dan was still feeling kinda tingly from having Phil's arm around him, and he wished that they could've stayed standing beside each other like that for a little while longer.

They made their way downstairs and out the front door, glad that the rain seemed to have stopped for the time being. They walked about half a block until they found a cab, which they quickly got into. The rain may have stopped, but the night air was still freezing cold. Phil leaned forward and showed the cab driver the address for the restaurant they were going to, and then the vehicle began moving.

Dan watched Phil as he looked out the window, seeming completely absorbed in their surroundings. He had a smile on his lips and looked completely at ease. Phil turned away from the window and saw Dan looking at him, but Dan didn't look away. Instead, he smiled.

“What?” Phil asked, laughing nervously.

Dan shook his head, still smiling. “You just look so perfect right now.”

Soft colour rose to Phil's cheeks, and he returned Dan's smile before looking back out the window. After a few more minutes their cab driver announced that they had arrived at their destination. They got out of the car and Phil paid the driver before joining Dan, who was waiting on the pavement. 

“So, what do you think of my choice in restaurants?” Phil asked, gesturing to one of the buildings on their side of the street.

Dan looked over to see where he was pointing, and grinned ecstatically when he read the name on the lit sign above the restaurant's door.

“You're taking me to The Blue Moon!?”

“Yeah, I heard that it's the best vegan restaurant in London.” Phil said. He walked over to the door and opened it, holding it open for Dan to pass through. 

“But you must've paid a fortune!” Dan protested as they waited at the front desk for someone to show them to their table.

“And you, Dan, are worth more than a fortune.”

“What?” Dan asked, surprised.

“It's true! You're a lot more fun to hang out with than bills or coins.” Phil said jokingly.

“Gee, thanks Phil. I'm glad to know you think so highly of me.” Dan said sarcastically, but he was laughing along with Phil. 

“Good evening sirs, how may I help you this evening?” Said a man with grey hair as he walked up behind the front desk.

“I have a reservation under Lester for tonight.” Phil answered him.

The man quickly flipped through a book on the desk, then smiled at the two of them. “Of course! Table for two for Mr. Lester. Right this way, please.”

Dan and Phil followed the man, whose name according to his name tag was Reginald. He lead them to a small table at the far end of the restaurant in the corner by a huge floor to ceiling window.

“There you are, sirs. When you are ready to order, just raise your hand and one of the waiters will assist you. Have a good night.” Reginald said, and with that he gave a bow before leaving their table. 

“Wow,” Dan said as he sat down, looking around the restaurant in awe. As the name of the establishment suggested, the interior was decorated in silver and pale blue. Black chairs surrounded tables covered with dark blue tablecloths. Silver lights hung from a black ceiling, which shimmered slightly as if it contained stars. The lighting was rather dim, and gave the whole place a mystical air. 

“It is quite pretty, isn't it?” Phil said.

“I don't think pretty is quite the right word, but yeah, it is.” Dan agreed.

“Do you want to order now, or wait a bit first?” Phil asked.

“Let's order now, I'm starving.” Dan said, and Phil nodded in agreement. 

After a few minutes of looking through the menu, Dan decided to order the white bean soup. Phil scanned the menu before giving up, and decided to get the same thing as Dan, since he had very little experience with vegan foods.

Phil raised his hand slightly, and almost immediately a waiter appeared at their table.

“May I take your order?” He asked.

“Two bowls of the white bean soup, thank you.” Phil said.

“Excellent choice. Would you like some wine to accompany your meal this evening?”

“That'd be great, thanks.”

“Very well, I shall return with your meals soon.” The waiter said, then walked away in the direction of the kitchen.

“Well, at least we didn't get mistaken for a couple again.” Dan said with a grin.

“Is it really so bad though, getting mistaken for a couple?” Phil asked.

“Uh, no. I guess not.” Dan replied. Now would be the perfect time to ask him. Phil had pretty much brought the subject up, and who knew when it would be brought up again, or if it ever would be. 

“Phil, can I ask you something?” Dan asked.

“Yeah, go ahead.” Phil said.

“You don't have to answer if you really don't want to, but I was just wondering...what's your sexuality?” Dan asked, and he could feel the knot of worry in his stomach. 

Phil paused uncertainly, and Dan quickly added, “I'm not going to post it on the internet or anything, I promise.”

Phil gave him a small smile. “I know you won't do that, it's just...I don't usually tell people.”

“Yeah, I understand.” Dan said, resigning himself over to the fact that he wouldn't be finding out the answer to his question.

There were a few seconds of silence, then Phil sighed. “But I kinda owe it to you...”

“You don't owe me anything, Phil. If you don't want to tell me, it's fine.” 

“No, but I want to tell you. I really do.” Phil insisted. “And I suppose now is as good a time as ever. So, to answer your question—”

Dan took a deep breath. The moment of truth had arrived. If Phil was straight, Dan would have to try and get over him. If he was something else...well, then Dan would have at least a small chance of being with him.

“—I'm gay.”

Dan couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face at Phil's words. He was gay. Dan had a chance.

“That's...wow...that's great!” Dan said happily. 

Phil blushed scarlet, but smiled joyfully back at Dan.

“Do Chris and PJ know?” Dan asked.

Phil nodded, “Yeah, I've told both of them. The only other people that know are my parents and my brother.”

“Wait, hang on!” Dan said suddenly, remembering something. “So that's why you weren't interested in that waitress that kept flirting with you when we went to that little cafe! You said that you didn't like people that tried too hard.”

“Yeah, well, that’s still true. Plus, I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell you yet.” Phil said honestly.

After another five minutes, their waiter returned with their meals. They ate quietly, and Dan couldn't for the life of him remember a time when he was more elated than he was at that moment.

An hour, four glasses of wine, and two desserts later, Phil asked their waiter for the cheque. Dan reached into his pocket for his wallet, but Phil stopped him.

“My treat.” He said. 

“Last time we had dinner you said I could pay next time, and I'm pretty sure this is next time.” Dan reminded him.

Phil shrugged, “You can pay next time.”

Dan rolled his eyes at him, but put away his wallet. 

Once Phil had paid, they made their way back outside and found a cab parked just outside the restaurant. Dan told the driver his address, and then they were on their way back to his apartment. The drive seemed even shorter than usual, and in almost no time at all the cab slowed down to a stop in front of Dan's building. 

Dan and Phil got out of the car, and Dan paid the driver before he drove away. They walked up the steps to the small landing at the front door, and just as Dan stepped on the last one he slipped in a small puddle and felt his legs flying out from beneath him. He thought he was going to fall down the stairs, but suddenly a pair of arms were wrapped around his waist and pulling him upright. 

Dan breathed a sigh of relief, turning around to face Phil, who still hadn't removed his arms from around Dan.

“That was close.” Dan said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, it was. You're unbelievably clumsy.” Phil said, smiling.

“I'm not falling anymore, you know.” Dan said, indicating Phil's arms around him.

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” Phil said, letting go of Dan and stepping away quickly. “I guess…I guess I should get going, it’s getting pretty late. Goodnight, Dan.”

He turned around and began walking down the steps, but only got down two before Dan grabbed his arm. 

“Stay.”

“Dan...” Phil started, but Dan cut him off.

“Please? Your suit jacket and your wet clothes are still in there, too.” Dan persuaded. Anything to get Phil to stay with him.

Phil thought for a moment, his face blank and thoughtful, a small frown between his eyes, maintaining eye contact with Dan. 

Dan’s heart was hammering in his chest, and he was internally cursing himself for doing such a stupid thing. He was just about to take it back when Phil finally smiled.

“Okay, I’ll stay.” Phil said softly.

And just like that, all Dan’s worries evaporated into the cool night air that surrounded them.


	10. The Fourth Wall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa...Holy hot tamale did I...Did I actually...update?????
> 
> Holy hell guys I'm so sorry I haven't updated in ages, I really don't actually have an excuse, I just had the worst writers' block and I didn't want to give you guys a crappy chapter...
> 
> Oh, I did also go back through and edit the chapters I had already posted and changed a few things but I don't think they effect the story much, except the ending of the previous chapter, so you might want to go back and just quickly reread the end with the change.
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is just a bit of silliness on my part, a bit of an apology before I get into the nitty gritty of the actual plot. I hope you guys like it, and I'll try to get another chapter out within a week, but we'll see. I promise I'll try not to take so long again, though :)
> 
> (also I didn't proofread this so please don't kill me if you find something wrong, just tell me and we can work together to make the world a better place)
> 
> ALSO IMPORTANT!!!!!!!  
> I'm looking for a beta reader so that I have less excuses to not write, so if anyone is interested you can send me a message through Tumblr (gabriels-eye-candy) or leave a comment or send me a message some other way! I really just need someone who will read through each chapter and make sure there aren't any spelling errors that I may have missed and that there aren't any continuity errors or things that just don't make sense :)

Dan sighed, running a hand through his hair, which he realized with a start was still in its hobbit state. Why in the absolute _fuck_ had Dan asked Phil to stay? He probably seemed so clingy and needy…ugh. 

Phil was currently in the shower, leaving Dan alone and with the opportunity to rethink all his life decisions; mainly the one where he had _asked Phil to stay the night when they had already spent hours together_. Seriously, why had he done that? The night had been going so well, and then he just _had_ to go and ask that _stupid_ question. God, he was an idiot. 

Dan sighed, collapsing down onto his bed and squeezing his eyes shut. Alright, he just had to think this through properly, stop being so pessimistic. Phil had smiled at him when he agreed to stay. That was something, right? He could have said no –in fact, he had seemed like he _was_ going to say no for a while there—but he hadn’t. 

He didn’t hear the bathroom door open, so he jumped a bit when Phil began to speak.

“Are you okay, Dan?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Just a slight existential crisis.” Dan said with a laugh that sounded a bit forced for his liking. 

“Did I do something wrong?” Phil asked, and at that Dan opened his eyes and looked over at him.

“No! No you…” Dan’s voice trailed off for a second when he saw that Phil was still shirtless and his hair was still messy from the shower, but he quickly cleared his throat and went on, “You couldn’t ever do anything wrong.”

Phil smiled with amusement.

Dan could feel himself blush and scrambled to fix what he had said, “I mean, nothing so bad that I would…I mean, you couldn’t…I wouldn’t have an existential crisis, in a bad way, because of you. No wait, that still doesn’t sound right,” 

By now Phil was trying desperately not to laugh, “It’s alright Dan, I get what you’re trying to say.”

“Oh thank God,” Dan said with a laugh, getting up off his bed. “I’m gonna pop in the shower quickly, you can do whatever you’d like while you wait.”

“I think I’ll just watch some Netflix,” Phil said, already halfway out the room. 

Dan grabbed his pyjamas and headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He quickly got into the shower and washed himself, scrubbing hurriedly at his hair. He didn’t want to give himself the opportunity for his mind to wander into another internal struggle, once was quite enough for one night. 

All in all it took about five minutes for him to finish showering, which was probably a new record. The weather was really starting to cool down, so when he stepped out of the warm, steamy shower he was met with what could only be described as air fit for Antarctica. He rushed to dry himself off and get into his pyjamas, and in his rush he tripped over the leg of his pyjama bottoms and fell face-first against the bathroom door, letting out a muffled yelp of surprise intermingled with pain. A few seconds later there was a knock on the door.

“Are you alright, Dan?” Phil asked.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Dan answered, rubbing at his nose and quickly putting on the remainder of his clothes before opening up the door. “I just tripped, sorry if I made you worry.”

Phil shook his head exasperatedly, “You really need to stop doing that, you’re gonna end up dying by tripping and falling into a volcano or something.”

“Well, good thing there aren’t any volcanoes in England, then.” Dan replied with a grin. 

“Actually, there are. They’re just not active.” Phil corrected, following Dan out into the living room and sitting down beside him on the couch. 

“Still, that means I don’t have to worry about tripping and falling into one.” 

“True,” Phil admitted. 

“So, what were you watching before you came running to my rescue?”

“Nothing, I hadn’t decided on anything yet,”

“Does it seriously take you that long to find something? There are literally thousands of options, you just gotta click on one,” Dan said teasingly.

“Yeah, well, I don’t want to pick something random and have it end up being really stupid and boring,” Phil retorted. 

“Okay, okay,” Dan said, holding his hands up in mock surrender, “Any specific genre?” 

Phil shrugged. 

“Such help. Much decision. Wow.” Dan said, turning to the TV and scrolling through his recommended movies. After a few moments of searching, however, he was struck by an idea. “Actually, you know what?”

“What?” 

“Do you watch YouTube?” Dan asked.

“Sometimes, if I need to figure out how to do something. Why?”

“So, you don’t actually, like, watch specific people?”

“No,” Phil seemed slightly confused. 

“Well then, Philip, you’re going to now.” Dan said with a sly smirk, switching the television channel over to his X-Box. He opened up the YouTube app and clicked on the search bar, typing in the name of his favourite gaming channel and selecting the most recent video. 

He leaned back, setting down the controller he had been using, and watched Phil out of the corner of his eye for his reaction. Thankfully, Phil seemed to enjoy it just as much as he did, and within a few minutes they were both laughing to the extent that Phil had tears in his eyes and Dan could barely catch his breath. The video ended about half an hour later with the YouTuber’s outro, and Phil used his sleeve to wipe away the tears of mirth that had fallen onto his cheeks. 

“I can’t believe he—” Phil said, giggling at the memory.

“I know, right!? God, I almost died…” Dan agreed, dissolving into laughter yet again. 

“I can’t believe I haven’t seen this side of YouTube before,” Phil said.

“It’s pretty awesome, honestly,” Dan said enthusiastically. “There are so many different channels and topics, sometimes I end up on the site for hours at a time without realizing it.”

“Imagine how cool it would be to play video games for a living,” Phil said, a dreamy look in his eyes. 

“I bet you could,” Dan enthused.

“No way, I wouldn’t know where to start,” 

“I’m serious, you’d be great at it! Plus, you’ve already got a fanbase behind you,” Dan pointed out.

“I guess so. I just don’t have the time. It would be amazing, though,” Phil said. “What do you think my username would be?”

“I dunno…Phil Is Amazing? PhilAmazing? AmazingPhil?” Dan voiced his ideas. 

Phil laughed, “AmazingPhil doesn’t sound too bad. I could have you as my gaming sidekick, too.”

“Hey, why am I the sidekick?” Dan said with a playfully offended tone, pushing Phil lightly by the shoulder. 

“You’re younger than me,” Phil reasoned.

“Damn it, you’ve got me there,” Dan confessed. “What would my name be, then?”

“Hmm…”Phil narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, leaning backwards to examine Dan and bringing a hand up to stroke an imaginary beard. “I think…danisnotonfire.”

“Wh—” Dan broke out into a fit of laughter, “What!?”

Phil laughed along with him before managing to calm down enough to say, “It’s true, though! You’re not on fire, and there aren’t any active volcanoes in England for you to trip into, so you probably won’t be on fire in the future, either.”

“You absolute _spork_ , what about house fires and campfires!? It makes no sense whasoever,” Dan said, smiling. “I love it. AmazingPhil and danisnotonfire, YouTube sensations, making people laugh one video at a time!” 

Phil nodded, “Sound like a good plan to me!”

“Hell yeah it does, too bad our lives are already way too busy. In an alternate universe we would be the best damn YouTubers ever,” Dan said wistfully. “Wanna watch another video to live out our dreams vicariously through someone else?”

“Yes!” Phil answered, punching the air enthusiastically. 

Dan put on a video from another YouTuber, one with a voice like golden honey, another favourite of his. He had forgotten, however, how sleepy his voice made him when it was late and night, and apparently it had the same effect on Phil, as when Dan glanced over to see if he was enjoying himself he saw that he was leaning against the side of the couch, his eyes closed gently, mouth slightly parted, and head resting on his folded arms. 

Dan got up from his seat carefully so as not to disturb Phil’s sleep and walked over to his linen closet, grabbing a pillow and blanket before heading back to the couch. He placed the pillow as far under Phil’s head as he could without the risk of waking him up, removing his glasses and setting them down on the coffee table as he did so, then threw the blanket softly across his sleeping form. 

The video they had been watching was still playing, and Dan thought it’d be a complete waste, an insult to its creator, even, if at least one of them didn’t finish watching it. He sat down next to Phil and pulled his legs up underneath him, watching on the screen as the YouTuber progressed through the game they were playing. 

The video was almost finished, but Dan didn’t realize when his eyes drifted shut and his posture became relaxed, didn’t realize when his breathing slowed down and the sound from the Let’s Play became faded as he slipped unknowingly into sleep.


End file.
